


Fetch

by BalloonArcade



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Autochorissexuality, Bad Dirty Talk, Canon What Canon, Demisexuality, Electricity, Fantasy Sex, Humor, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Split-Spark Bond Shinanegans, Sticky Sexual Interfacing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-03-18 13:06:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13682280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BalloonArcade/pseuds/BalloonArcade
Summary: Thundercracker could point to the precise moments that led him to want to pursue a cross-faction romantic relationship with the Terror Twins.Sideswipe's a sucker for a shameless flirt with wings. For Sunstreaker, the pressures of feeling a sexual connection is never that simple.





	1. Click

_click_

“Good girl.”

_click_

“Good girl.”

From his perch on the back of the couch, Skywarp shook his head and shuffled his wings, amused, yet vaguely concerned for his trine mate’s sanity.

“It’s not going to work, TC.”

_click_

“Good girl. What do you mean it’s not going to work? Look at her!” Thundercracker didn’t bother to stop or look up at Skywarp, just kept generating a click with his vocalizer and rewarding his dog again. “She’s so smart. This is only our second training session and she’s already offering the behaviour on her own for the dried chicken she loves.”

“Buster’s performance isn’t what I’m worried about,” Skywarp’s ailerons twitched as he watched Buster offer the behaviour again without prompting. "What made you think this is going to work?”

Thundercracker shuffled back a step in his crouch, generated a click, and rewarded Buster again before responding: “I saw it in a movie once.”

Groaning, Skywarp pressed his face into his hands. Collapsing down to the couch beneath him in an uncontrolled slither, he hung upside down and conked the back of his helm on the floor.

“TC she’s so small and… organic.” Skywarp tried, entreating again to Thundercracker's safety protocols as he peeked out between fingers. Primus, Skywarp was already embarrassed for Thundercracker when he hadn’t even begun. “What if she gets squished instead?”

“She won’t.” Scooping up Buster into his hands, Thundercracker stood and held her up to his face. She licked him on the nose, and Skywarp listened as Thundercracker assured Buster that she was the smartest dog that ever was in the whole wide world.

Insane. Thundercracker had gone insane. All because of a fragging Insecticon, a movie quote, and a human holoform avatar.

There was really only one conclusion Skywarp could make.

Thundercracker had spent the last few weeks post battle moping around, binge watching human romantic comedies, dramas of star crossed lovers, and Disney movies - it had finally fried his cortex.

“You aren’t thinking straight.” Skywarp sat up and crossed his legs on the cushion, the picture of seriousness. “TC listen to me, I’m all for a good cross faction frag - hot as the pits - but split-sparks? Especially those split-sparks… you have to get them to both agree. Even if you impress one with Buster… you won’t get the other.”

“You’re wrong. It’ll work. And I’m not asking them to frag, I’m asking them on a playdate. I’ve scripted it out. It’s going to work Sky, trust me.” Turning his attention from Skywarp back to Buster, Thundercracker cooed: “The smartest most cutest dog on Earth is going to get her daddy a date. Isn’t she? Isn’t she?”

Buster barked; Skywarp swore it was in agreement, and he flopped back onto the couch, tossed his arm over his optics, and groaned.

Brief. It was brief. But no one knew Thundercracker better than Skywarp, and Skywarp knew what he just saw. Thundercracker’s wings had flared out and fluttered… 

_Love_ was melting Thundercracker’s cortex, and all the human slag he watched and wrote was going to start running out of his vocalizer.

_~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~_

“BOB! STOP! COME!” Sunstreaker half groaned and half yelled out a frustrated vocalization. Throwing the leash to the ground with a huff, he watched helplessly as Bob took off through the bushes as soon as he let him off his leash. 

Again.

Sideswipe leaned against a tree beside him and stifled a snicker, but along their spark-bond he was cackling.

Rounding on his twin, Sunstreaker glared, “That is the opposite of helping. You were supposed to call him toward you.”

“I did. He went the other way,” Sideswipe shrugged. “ Give it up Sunny. He comes when called during battle, so what if he won’t take a walk off leash.”

“He comes when called _mostly_ during battle,” Sunstreaker corrected. “Or did you miss me leading him away with a limp last time after he took off after Ravage.”

Snatching the leash from the ground, Sunstreaker stalked away through the underbrush after Bob. His spark twisted in a personal shame he knew he couldn’t hide from his twin.

Sideswipe chased after him.

//Hey I’m sorry, Sunny,// he pinged out over their bond. //We’ll get him trained, I know how much he helps you.//

//He shouldn’t have to help me.// Sunstreaker vented in out hard in irritation. //I should be able to spoil him rotten. I should be able to not fragging glitch and go berserk during combat without him, and leave Bob in our quarters where its safe.//

Snapping off a branch as he stomped after Bob’s path of destruction, Sunstreaker braced himself, knowing what was coming based on the pulsing support through their spark-bond.

//Maybe we should tell Prowl. Get you taken off the front-//

//No.//

//Sunny - //

//No.// Sunstreaker’s will was unbendable on this topic. //You are _not_ going into combat without - //

Sunstreaker stopped dead as a noise that didn’t belong in the forest reached his audials, and held up his arm in front of Sideswipe, pinging an alert over their bond.

//What is -//

//Shhh. Someone’s talking.//

A high-pitched squeak rang out, followed by the sound of Bob crashing through the underbrush toward something, then -

“Fetch.” A deep timber voice commanded through the trees.

More Bob running and… was that a bark?

_click_

“Good girl, Buster. Oh and who is your silly friend you brought back. You look familiar, are you one of Shockwave’s?”

Sparks pounding, no words were necessary between Sunstreaker and his twin. As one, both their arms transformed, cycling up their weapons, and charging toward the voice they both recognized.

Bursting through the trees and into a clearing they took aim. Thundercracker was crouched low over Bob -

“Back away from my bug. Bob, come.” Sunstreaker commanded, glaring toward where Thundercracker was -

Scratching behind Bob’s antennae?

Bob’s back legs thumped contentedly on the ground, no intention of coming back to Sunstreaker.

“Oh, that’s why you look so familiar.” Thundercracker’s optics lit up as he looked from Bob across the clearing where Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood at the ready, their weapons charged and target locked. A smiled stretched the seeker’s face, and he tossed a small, bright yellow object toward them. 

Sideswipe almost shot it, until a brown, furry organic chased after it with a high pitched bark. Bob scrambled to follow after both ball and dog.

The dog jumped up and grabbed the ball on a rebound pounce near Sunstreaker’s ped. Ball squeaking as jaws closed around it, the dog pranced and showed it off. Bob circled the dog: antennae jerking up and bouncing with each squeak. He chuffed and wiggled, completely thrilled and delighted.

“Fetch.” Thundercracker’s smooth tone shot through Sunstreaker’s plating, down his lines. He watched, baffled, as the dog immediately returned the ball to Thundercracker, dropping it at his pedes then sitting. Bob followed suit, aft plopped and wiggling on the ground.

_click_

That noise was generated by Thundercracker’s vocalizer, then he tossed a reward to his dog.

“Good girl, Buster… and Bob was it?” Thundercracker, still crouched, looked up at them from across the clearing. Reaching into his subspace, he made a show of retrieving a rust stick, displaying it to Sunstreaker and nodding toward Bob. “May I…?”

Sunstreaker shared a look with Sideswipe, uncertainty stretching between their bond.

“You poison that bug you’re a dead mech,” Sideswipe answered for his twin.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Thundercracker answered. He tossed the stick to Bob, then scratched his antenna again. “Good boy, Bob.”

Reaching down to pick up the ball again, Thundercracker gave it a squeak. Bob’s antennae shot up in time with Buster’s ears. The ball was thrown again over the distance between them, this time toward Sideswipe. Buster got half way after the ball when Bob got a little too rambunctious and over took her.

Buster was left in the dust as Bob snatched the ball, bouncing and tossing his head all around as he squeaked it between his mandibles. Some tension left Sunstreaker's frame and a small smile formed on his face as he watched his daffy bug’s silly antics. 

“Buster, are you injured?” Thundercracker called out concerned.

Sunstreaker took his optics off Bob frolicking with the squeaky ball, and the poor little organic was limping toward him, looking up to him for help.

Her tail was tucked, front paw lifted, and brown eyes bore into Sunstreaker’s optics and spark. Subspacing their weapons, both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker crouched low.

“Did Bob hurt you, girl?” Sunstreaker extended his hand toward her, palm up and -

_click_

She stopped limping, running the rest of the way toward Sunstreaker’s out stretched fingers with a happy bark. Too stunned and afraid he’d hurt her to pull away, she climbed into his hand. Sitting, her tail swished against his plating. A drop of drool suspended from the tongue as she hung it out of the side of her mouth.

Sunstreaker didn’t know what to say.

“… Buh?” Sideswipe did little better as he peered at her in Sunstreaker’s hand. Her tiny ears lifted with Sideswipe's noise, and her head tilted to the side -

And Sunstreaker’s spark officially melted.

“Awe. Look at her, Sunny,” Sideswipe cooed. “Look at that fuzzy face.”

“Hold out your finger and ask her to give you five.” Startled, Sunstreaker looked up to see Thundercracker had closed the distance between them, Bob trotting along after him while snuffling something out of the seeker’s hand. 

Sideswipe extended a finger toward her, and Sunstreaker watched, “Gimme five.”

Buster lifted her tiny paw and slapped it down on Sideswipe’s finger, and tilted her head at Sunstreaker.

“Good girl, Buster,” Thundercracker praised. “Now where’s your tail?” 

Buster jumped off Sunstreaker’s hand then ran around around in a circle in the grass, chasing her tail. Bob plopped down on his stomach plating, yellow optics enthralled as his tiny front claw held the ball.

Confusion shot through their bond. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood up in unison and their arms crossed in front of themselves in sync.

“What you doing here this close to our base, Thundercracker?” Sideswipe asked with a probing, suspicious cant to his question.

Thundercracker chuckled; the deep tone resonated through Sunstreaker’s lines as he answered.

“What I’m doing here is teaching Buster to fetch what I want.” He gestured to Buster, now reversing in the other direction. He made a point to make optic contact with both of them, despite Sideswipe being the one who had kept speaking to him. Then he shrugged, “She’s just trying to chase some tail, I’m just trying to chase some tail… ”

Sunstreaker's mouth uncharacteristically dropped open then he locked optics with Sideswipe who wore an identical expression. Together, their attention snapped back at Thundercracker in disbelief. 

“Are you using your-“ Sideswipe started.

“- dog to pick us up?” Sunstreaker finished.

“So it is true,” Thundercracker’s face split in a grin. “Split-spark twins do finished each others sentences when flustered. That’s adorable.”

“Flustered? Flustered?” Sideswipe pushed Thundercracker in the shoulder and tsked, “Mech, how you flirt is shameful -”

“- Using that adorable face to lure us.” Sunstreaker looked down at Buster and smiled as her jaws locked around the ball in Bob’s claw. She tugged and growled and Bob could hardly contain his wiggles of delight.

“Well… did it work?” Thundercracker asked, his wings dropping a fraction before he hiked them back up, tall and proud.

“What did you have in mind?” Sideswipe asked skeptically, probing Sunstreaker’s opinion over the bond. Sunstreaker knew how his twin felt about winged mecha, and their bond was already vibrating in amusement at Thundercracker’s shameless scheme.

But Sunstreaker didn’t move as quickly as his twin, he always needed to feel an emotional connection before sexual attraction began: get to know a mech first. Few ever wanted to give Sunstreaker the time he needed to feel comfortable, and even then -

“One date.” Thundercracker suggested, “Give me a chance to impress the both of you, together.”

“One date, if Sunny agrees,” Sideswipe smirked and shuttered an optic in a wink at Thundercracker, “I like shameful.”

Thundercracker returned Sideswipe’s wink then looked to Sunstreaker.

When Sunstreaker didn’t respond and just continued to glare up at the larger seeker, Thundercracker crouched down and talked to Bob.

“Bob, tell your daddy how much fun you have with your new friend Buster.” Then Thundercracker chuckled at his own ridiculousness, stood and leaned in toward Sunstreaker’s audial, “I’ve seen your human holo… the dark tint of your simulated organic exterior dermal plating, long detailed keratin filaments, that golden dress flowing like liquid metal around your curves, and legs for days… ”

Sideswipe was grinning at him, Sunstreaker didn’t even have to look, he could fragging feel it through their bond. Sideswipe had always wanted to try different holo play with others while their frames writhed, heated in the berth, but Sunstreaker rarely joined him with others.

When he did… it never ended well.

Looking down at Buster and Bob playing together, it struck Sunstreaker how at ease Thundercracker was with Bob. Most Autobots still looked at the insecticon - looked at the twins - as if they would be bit or attacked at any moment. 

All because of Sunstreaker’s fragging glitching corrupted combat code from the Pits, causing reality to bleed and him to target lock anyone not his twin and lash out when -

Deleting that line of code, Sunstreaker considered the amount of effort Thundercracker had put in to lure them into this clearing just to ask them out on a date.

This mech clearly loved his pet dog, not just for a prop to pick up mechs, and that was a good starting point to learn more about his personality.

Looking Thundercracker deep in his optics Sunstreaker gave his answer.

“You train my bug how to come when I call him… one date.” He held up his hand as Thundercracker’s face split in an victorious grin. “If Buster will be there. I’m doing this for Buster, and because Bob likes her. _You_ I’m still undecided about.”

“Of course. Understood.” Thundercracker even bowed like a classy gentleman from Sideswipe’s stupid human movies, and reached out to kiss Sideswipe’s hand. “No one puts Buster in a corner.”

Sideswipe sputtered with poorly stifled laughter, and Thundercracker grinned up at him from his bow. The seeker's red optics glittered, and his wings flared wide with a slow flutter to their leading edges and ailerons.

Thundercracker knelt down, extending his hand to the ground and as Buster ran onto it. Sunstreaker’s spark flipped and spun.

“Good girl. Who is the smartest dog?” He stood up and extended her to Sunstreaker, “Just look what you might fetch for daddy.”

Sideswipe had to brace himself on a tree under the force of his laughter, delighted at Thundercracker’s complete and utter disregard that he had just used his dog again as an opening to shamelessly flirt.

And Sunstreaker struggled to keep his faceplate from heating as he imaged the kind of mech willing to put so much time and effort into getting to know them, instead of treating them like some kind of exotic notch for a berth post.

The kind of mech who treated them as their own mechs, but respected them as one.

“Bob’s terrible at recall. Good luck,” Sunstreaker smirked at Thundercracker. “You’re never getting that date.”

“No luck needed,” That smooth timber again shot through Sunstreaker’s lines as Thundercracker spoke. “Patience, and clear communication has its own rewards.”

Sunstreaker may not feel physical attraction to mecha as quickly as his twin did, but Thundercracker’s deep voice… _something_ definitely resonated in Sunstreaker when he heard it.

That mech loved his dog, had done his research on split-spark twins, and was clearly patient. Sunstreaker tried not to get his hopes up.

But when his optics met his twin’s, Sideswipe’s face split so wide in a genuine smile, the bond between them sang in harmony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spawned originally from a prompt on Tumblr from Fuzipenguin.


	2. Raw Edges and Reflections

The metal scraper’s fine edge cut under the light adhesive of the detailing tape. Once the corner was lifted, Skywarp pinched it between his fingers and carefully pulled the blue and red strip toward himself. He lightly guided his hand along the strip, revealing clean edged white beneath.

“I can’t believe you are edging for those fraggers,” Skywarp muttered as he guided the tacky strip off of Thundercracker’s trailing edge. “They’ve been leading you on for months.”

“We’ve been getting to know each other,” Thundercracker said.

“You said the red one was ready to open his panel right then and there,” Skywarp huffed.

“No, I said he was interested in my proposal,” Thundercracker turned and angled the side mirrors toward himself. “Sunstreaker however, set me a challenge to prove my intentions.”

Newly refinished red, blue and white horizontal stabilizers pivoted up and down as Thundercracker examined his newly painted lines.

Primus, Thundercracker was _preening_ for them.

“Regular frigid liner that one,” Skywarp balled up the adhesive strips in his hand.

Thundercracker froze, his hard glare piercing at his trine mate as soon as the words were out of Skywarp’s vocalizer.

“What,” Thundercracker’s word clipped out, sharp, “did you call him?” 

Each word forced out through clenched denta, should have been Skywarp’s clue to stop. But he’d be the first to admit that he could be a little oblivious sometimes.

“Frigid liner: a self-righteous prig.” Skywarp wrinkled his nose as he tried to shake the sticky ball of waded strips off his fingers. “A narcissistic sociopath. Probably only lets his twin touch him so he can stare at his own face mold.” 

A black hand wrapped tight around his wrist and Skywarp froze when he heard the ominous cycling of turbines powering up.

“Do not,” the sticky ball was plucked from his hand and incinerated in an afterburner, “call him that. You know nothing about the mech. Either of them.”

“I know he punched out my cockpit four weeks ago and tore through my operations panel, optics bleached white long after we called a retreat,” Skywarp sneered.

“That was because Bob ran after Frenzy, and you shot at his twin!” Thundercracker jabbed a finger at Skywarp’s cockpit. ::I told you not to attack them if his bug takes off.::

Skywarp’s wing’s shot up when Thundercracker switched to their private comm channel. Spark hammering against its casing, Skywarp gripped Thundercracker’s upper arm and searched Thundercracker’s optics.

::You know something.:: Out loud Skywarp cursed, but he kept their discussions - Thundercracker’s _treason_ over their comms. ::Primus TC, a frag they would forgive, a relationship: if you keep your mouths shut, but you have some kind of intel that will compromise the Terror Twins-::

::I don’t know _anything_.:: Thundercracker pulled his arm out of Skywarp’s grip and frowned at the mark left behind. ::Just my own understanding of the cathartic benefits of pet ownership. Are we understood?::

Thundercracker held Skywarp's optic contact, their trine bond pulsing hard, as if he had just given Skywarp a command in battle. Skywarp rolled his optics.

“Yea yea. I helped you set up the island didn’t I?” Skywarp picked up a polishing cloth, and knocked Thundercracker’s probing finger away from the scratch on his arm. “Don’t pick at it!”

“And I thank you for that.” The tension and fire melted from Thundercracker’s frame and his ailerons lifted twice in agitation before setting. “They had no reason to trust my intentions so I have spent time with them as _requested_. I have proved myself patient, and my willingness to communicate clearly and effectively. Dating split-sparks is not without its trials in communication.”

“But this is what I’m taking about, TC,” Skywarp said as he buffed out the mark he had made. “You aren’t even dating them.”

“Not yet.” Thundercracker conceded. “I’ve earned one single date with them as we agreed, but after tonight, thanks to your help transporting the equipment, I am hoping to dazzle them into second.”

A gnawing pit ate at Skywarp’s fuel tanks as he watched Thundercracker preen and check his plating again in the angled mirrors.

“They’re laughing at you, TC.” Skywarp placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze. “You just can’t hear it because they are doing it over their bond.”

The slight dip in Thundercracker’s wings tore at Skywarp’s spark. As fast as it appeared they were hiked up high and proud again. Thundercracker crouched down and extended his hand toward the floor and whistled. The jingle of metal rang hollow in Skywarp’s audials as Buster got up from her bed and shook. A light click of organic nails against the metal flooring indicated her trotting closer.

The tiny organic eagerly hopped into the palm of a warrior who use to decimate those same worlds on command.

“You’re wrong,” Thundercracker stated calmly. “The two of them enjoy my company. I refuse to break the trust I’ve built and pressure them into a place they are uncomfortable.”

“You can’t love them, TC.” Skywarp tried again to reason with him. “That slag’s for the movies. You’re still a _Decepticon_. They are never going to defect. And if Megatron - no let’s be honest - if _Soundwave_ discovers you are holding —”

“I’m done discussing this Skywarp,” Thundercracker brought Buster up to his optic level and let her lick his nose. “Either they will have me as I am, flaws and all, or I can at least recharge better knowing Bob will no longer run headlong after Ravage to his certain death.”

Skywarp was left staring at his own reflection in the mirrors after Thundercracker walked out.

The prolonged wait over the months had only made Thundercracker’s yearning for them greater. Skywarp’s brother -

His cortex caught up with his processor. 

_Yearning?_

Ugh. Now he sounded like one of Thundercracker’s stupid screenplays.

_Screenplays._

A cold dread flooded his lines as Thundercracker’s words replayed in his cortex. 

_Either they will have me as I am, flaws and all…_

Skywarp’s frantic optics searched the refection before him.

_…Flaws and all…_

Thundercracker’s shelf of datapads… there were three missing. One wasn’t cause for alarm, Thundercracker always carried one. But three?

“You fragging love sick idiot,” Skywarp ground out.

His hands clenched tight on the table as an ominous flash of red reflected from the mirror. If those twin terrors broke his brother’s spark after stringing him along for months in order to better train their battlefield beast, Skywarp would make sure there wouldn’t be enough pieces left to -

To -

Aw Pits. He’d come up with a better analogy later. That flash of red was on his HUD, not the mirror.

He was late for his shift.

_~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~_

Despite hitting it off well with Thundercracker during Bob’s training sessions, Sideswipe knew even without their bond that Sunstreaker was nervous about finally admitting they were going on a date with the seeker.

Sunstreaker had never liked the pressure of a first date - a second, third, or forth for that matter either. After a first date, others always expected Sunstreaker to have an inkling of how he wanted to proceed. By the forth date, thanks to that aft who called Sunny a tease, if his twin didn't express a sexual interest, he always felt as if he was leading them on. 

Pits, even Sideswipe hadn’t understood it at first, and he had a direct line to Sunstreaker’s emotional turmoil that was raging through their bond.

For Sideswipe, it was like the wind just had to blow and he was ready to interface. For Sunstreaker, he had no interest in interfacing without his processor or his emotions engaged. He just couldn’t seem generate the charge or arousal otherwise. 

Sometimes though, Sunny could fall so hard and so suddenly after being friends with someone, it was painful. 

Twice in the past, Sunstreaker had been burned by making friendships complicated; uncomfortable when he suddenly developed a romantic interest in a close, platonic friend. He had been at a complete loss of how to proceed and deal with his emotions. He hadn't risked telling Sideswipe until it was too late: Sunstreaker had either come on too strong, or already ghosted the friend to avoid the stress, and ended up destroying their friendships he was worried about ruining with his unrequited, advances in the first place.

With Thundercracker though, it was different. Thundercracker had made his intentions clear months ago in the clearing. The end goal, had always been a date. Sunstreaker had just played his hand to stall for time with Thundercracker, and allow a sexual romantic interest a chance to form in him.

Sunny had been having fun and enjoying himself with the seeker, and doting on Buster, and Sideswipe would go so far as to have called them friends, but now that Thundercracker had reliably taught Bob to come when called… well…

As the door to their quarters hissed open in front of Sideswipe, a verifiable wall of the scent of fresh wax all but smacked Sideswipe in the face. 

Coughing to clear his intake of the harsh chemicals, he used his elbow to activate the vent on the ceiling, careful not to spill the two cubes of energon in his hands.

“I think you can tone it down on the polish, Sunny.” Sideswipe called toward their berth room between coughs. “Unless you intend to weaponize yourself against TC after all.”

Over their bond he received the human equivalent of the middle finger. 

The sound of the portable drier clicked on from the adjacent room, and a purple glow of the UV-lamp to cure Sunstreaker’s high gloss coating suddenly illuminated across the floor. Balancing the cubes in his hands, Sideswipe approached the table in front of their couch and reset his optics. He could have sworn he had left his magazines, game controller and his knife on there last night before his shift. Now he could see his own confused reflection staring back up at him from the table's refinished surface. 

In the center of the table, sat a wrapped dish full of energon goodies: each molded and perfectly painted like gems, and was that… dog treats?

//Primus Sunny, did you recharge at all?// 

Sunstreaker sent a half formed shrug in response. 

Setting down the cubes, Sideswipe half crouched over them for the inevitable: Bob trying to stick his proboscis in the cubes to syphon a taste. No snuffling spiky armored mass of purple and yellow arrived. For that matter why were the energon goodies left at Bob height?

Sideswipe slowly stood and scanned around the room.

//Where’s Bob?//

//… Pouting.//

Huh? 

Activating his targeting system, he picked up a red shimmering Bob-blobbed shaped heat signature from behind the couch. Kneeling down on the cushions, Sideswipe leaned over the back. Deactivating his targeting system rendered the Bob-blob on Sideswipe’s visual feed, in to a sad-Bob curled up with his antennae drooped and looking pitiful.

“Aw, Bob.” Sideswipe reached down to pet behind an antenna. “Not you too. What did he do to you?”

Bob gave a mournful sigh, and stuck his head under the couch.

Running a finger over the back of Sunstreaker’s pouting bug, Sideswipe lifted his hand back out from behind the couch to examine them. He rubbed his finger tips together. Surprise lighting up their bond, his attention snapped toward Sunstreaker.

//You even refinished and polished, Bob?// He asked, incredulous. //With your best wax? You didn’t even use your best wax on me!//

Oh yea, Sunny was nervous alright. Cleaning, baking, and polishing everything in sight.

“He needed a bath.” The purple light clicked off along with the drier. “And if I used it on you, I wouldn’t have had enough left for Bob.”

Sunstreaker appeared slightly out of the corner of their berth room, and Sideswipe’s spark fluttered at the sight. Facing their mirror, Sunstreaker bent down to polish brake dust off the rims of his wheel on the back of his leg.

Sideswipe leaned back on the couch and craned his head over the side for a better view. By Primus, his twin had stripped off his entire golden yellow paint down to the base layer and recoated himself in a liquid, mirrored gold. 

Sideswipe shifted uncomfortably on the couch, his spike, already pressurizing at the sight of Sunstreaker’s freshly contoured shiny shifting aft moving back and forth as he polished his wheels. 

“Thundercracker’s seen you covered in mud from the time you stomped into a bog when Bob got stuck.” Sideswipe pointed out, his gaze trailing down the spreading seams of Sunstreaker’s panels, tracing the path down to his interface panel peeking out from beneath his bent over aft. “And we have a three hour drive to the coordinates he gave us. As epic as you look, I don’t think he’s expecting you to look fresh off the assembly line.”

“I just… I guess I want to be all put together on the outside while my insides are still a mess about it.” In the mirror, Sunstreaker paused and narrowed his optics at Sideswipe slipping his hand under the cover to grab an energon goodie. “It’s not for him, it’s for me. I think. I don’t know. You better make sure you eat at least three so you even out the cluster-pattern I made on that plate.”

Switching sides to polish his other wheel, Sunstreaker projected his uncertainty over their bond: his so-called muddled mess of his insides, hoping Sideswipe could either sooth them or help him straighten them out. 

“Do you think you could imagine yourself sucking his spike though?” Sideswipe asked casually, popping a purple energon goodie in his mouth.

Sunstreaker’s hands paused, and Sideswipe locked his optics on the expression of Sunstreaker's reflection.

A bottom lip was licked oh so slightly and pulled into his mouth; a small swallow of a well of oral fluid. Energon goodie half chewed, Sideswipe sat up ram-rod straight on their couch. Over their bond… not arousal, but not _disgust_ either. Sunny was considering it! 

Sideswipe had never forgotten about Sunstreaker’s old silly test he used to see if he was interested in someone for more than friendship. 

If he couldn’t imagine himself sucking their spike, it was a hard no.

There was no point in asking Sunstreaker how he felt about Thundercracker’s valve. He definitely would not be interested in going down on that. Sunstreaker could barely manage to bring himself to touch his own even if Sideswipe found that hot as hell and transmitted his emotions about it over their bond. His twin hated the slippery, slick feel on his fingers, and he definitely hated the feeling of sticking them inside himself. He hated the mess on his face, and the taste of valve fluid freaked him out -

But, he still loved the _thought_ of imagining going down on others there.

He still loved the feel of Sideswipe’s face pressed and sucking against his.

Sideswipe tongue darted out of his mouth, as he swallowed the goodie, and maybe it was his strain of code but he found himself sending a veritable electric storm of emotions along their bond toward his confused and torn twin.

So what if Sunny didn’t like performing oral on a valve, but loved it on his own. So what if Sunstreaker preferred to grind himself off on pillows or fabrics and imagine all sorts of things that turned his own fuel tank to actually try.

Sunstreaker always worried it made him a selfish berth partner; liked to feel the reassurance from Sideswipe that he didn’t mind at all. Sideswipe didn’t see anything selfish about the expressions that would flit across Sunstreaker’s face or the heat and desire he’d blare over their bond as he rubbed himself against Sideswipe’s face. There was certainly nothing selfish about the way Sunstreaker would let Sideswipe slip in his dripping wet valve from behind as he ground himself off on a pillow, even though penetration had never brought him to overload.

Shifting again on the couch, did little to relieve the pressure building behind his plating. 

Optics locked on Sunny’s aft, Sideswipe’s hand drifted down and pressed against his heated panel. A hot jolt of charge raced through his systems as he ground himself down against his hand.

“For the love of -“ Sunstreaker’s optics locked on Sideswipe’s in the mirror. “Sideswipe, I’m having an emotional crisis here, and I’m just doing maintenance.”

“I can’t help it,” Sideswipe whined and sent his compliments for Sunny’s new finish over their bond. “You’re so hot. If I don’t get relief before we go, I’m gonna pop my panel off just sitting next to the mech with you looking like that.”

Primus, sometimes Sunny didn’t even know how much he drove Sideswipe haywire.

“We are not ‘facing him tonight,” Sunstreaker stated firmly.

“I know you like him.” Trying to suppress down his own needs, Sideswipe refocused his processor, recalled and transmitted the feeling he’d get over their bond from Sunstreaker hearing Thundercracker’s voice. “Or at least some parts of the idea of him.”

“I just… ” Sunstreaker trailed off, scowled then returned to detailing his tires. He paused, glared at Sideswipe then turned to the side, depriving Sideswipe of his glorious view.

Frag. Sideswipe had hadn’t meant to push. Leaning forward off the couch, Sideswipe snuck a finger under the wrapped goodie cover and chose a red one edged in black, and the cube to bring to his twin. 

Sunstreaker scowled at him along their bond and out of the corner of his optics as he continued to attack brake dust on his rims that wasn’t even there.

“Hey you,” Sideswipe leaned on the doorway and extended the cube. “When’s the last time you fueled.”

As if in response, Sunstreaker’s fuel tank rumbled and he huffed in exasperation at himself, Sideswipe, or the universe - maybe all three - even Sideswipe didn’t know. 

Sunstreaker stood and reached for the cube, their fingers, brushing over each other. The metal of their frames, sending a slight tingle of charge shooting through finger tips like always, their sentient metallico almost singing in a way to be this close to what once had been a connected whole. As if drawn in, helpless under the pull of gravity, Sideswipe took a step forward to close the physical distance between them.

His left hand reached out and Sunstreaker responded like a magnet of an opposite pole, his helm coming forward to rest on Sideswipe’s, his optics searching for comfort physically and along their bond.

“I’m an idiot,” Sideswipe gave a small, slight smile, as he slipped the red and black goodie into his twin’s mouth. “I didn’t mean to push. You know I’ve been ready to jump his plating since he first made his bold cheesy pass at us, but we go at your pace, okay? There is nothing wrong with you, and Thundercracker’s lucky he has a cute dog to draw us in.” 

“Our only weakness:” Sunstreaker’s smile matched Sideswipe’s, “cheesy pick up schemes and adorable fuzzy faces.” 

For a moment, as their ventilations mirrored the other, and Sunstreaker’s worries became Sideswipe’s. Together, they melted them away with their sparks syncing and rotating in harmony.

“Don’t forget the movie quotes,” Sideswipe added after a time. “And his appreciation of all the work you spent on your holoform.”

“Holoform _s._ ” Sunstreaker stressed the plural. 

“Don’t remind me,” Sideswipe blew a soft burst of air out his nose as he laughed. “You are worse than watching Mirage play the SIMs or an MMORPG. The two of you just want to design pretty characters.”

“And make them frag in my head,” his twin gave a mischievous smirk. 

“You make them frag without me?” Sideswipe gave a mock gasp. “You been holding out on me, Sunny?”

“Never.” Sunstreaker’s lips and hot vented exhale ghosted across Sideswipe’s. “I make them frag _you_ every which way.”

Half-smiling, half-kissing at the same time never quite worked, but as Sideswipe’s grin stretched wider, he couldn’t bring himself to care. Laughter at each other lit across their bond as they tried to make it work anyway. This close to each other though, connected by frame and bond, their playful, amused kisses gave way to pressing and moving their lips more sensually against the other. Sideswipe’s hand on the back of his twin’s neck pulled him harder against himself. He sucked in Sunstreaker’s bottom lip just to savor the feel of him quivering at the sensation over their bond. He clung, enraptured at the melody between them through their sparks as Sunstreaker’s optics offlined for a moment, then focused back on his twin.

Their lips parted and they stared into each other’s optics.

“We good?” Sideswipe asked, helm pressed against his twin’s again.

“Always,” came Sunstreaker’s reply with a pulse mirroring Sideswipe’s captivated love and devotion.

They stood there basking in the hypnotic feeling of simply being with each other, with the feeling of _being_ each other, before Sideswipe dropped them out of sync by shifting uncomfortably again at the pressure welling between his legs. 

“Primus, again?” Sunstreaker pulled away with a slight roll to his optics and tossed back his cube. He turned back toward his detailing station and fiddled with aligning the empty cube on a shelf.

Sideswipe scooted up behind him, playful fingers walked down the transformation seams on his Sunstreaker’s side. In the mirror he watched Sunstreaker’s reaction as he traced lightly among the maze of gaps between plating. 

“I know we aren’t ‘facing TC tonight, but I’m not joking about popping or drenching my panel if I have to drive over bumpy roads following your pretty aft,” Sideswipe added a little pout to his lips. “You want to help me blow off some charge?”

“I’m probably too anxious to get in the mood, Sides.” Sunstreaker straightened the cube again and lined it up with the edge.

“I could, help you relax some? Sexy massage? Sensation play?” Sideswipe moved his face against his twin’s neck, making sure hot gusts of his exvent caressed over Sunstreaker’s armor and down his neck cables. “Or should I go and take care of myself in the other room before we go?”

“And everyone says I’m the attention whore,” Sunstreaker sighed, arching his neck up to his twin’s lips. “I could use a little jolt to relax, try to stop my processor from running in circles, and agonizing over every little thing I’m about to say wrong, but no promises you can get me to peak.”

“Mmmm k.” Sideswipe pressed his lips softly against his twin’s exposed lines. His fingers traced the edges of Sunstreaker’s plating, trailing downward. “Wanna piggyback on mine?”

Over their bond, Sideswipe posed his question with a wave of his desire and insatiable need for his other half.

Vorns ago, they had found a system that worked for them: Sunstreaker preferred his fantasies, and piggy-backing along their spark bond to Sideswipe's emotions and commentary during interface, more-so over the actual interface itself. 

The pinged affirmative over their bond, and Sunstreaker opening their bond wider, was all the encouragement Sideswipe needed. The flood gates opened: a rush of Sideswipe’s charged, heated arousal and captivated desire for every inch for his spark’s desire poured through their bond. The sudden force and intensity of it caused Sunstreaker’s vocalizer to hitch in a choked, static-laced moan and his lips to part.

Sideswipe’s smooth metal finger tips, filed dull after their enlistment, dipped in a seam just enough to tweak a capacitor. Sunstreaker drew a heavy vent, cooling his systems in anticipation. Sideswipe transformed two fingers to the sharpened points he had begged Ratchet to let him keep - argued he couldn’t stand the thought of this final line of defense being taken from him. The clever, experienced medic had caught Sideswipe and Sunstreaker’s shared glance and huffed that they didn’t have to lie: the scorch marks under Sunstreaker’s plating spoke to the type of stress relief Sunstreaker engaged in. 

Pointed fingers twisted the capacitor, one sharp tip slipping beneath it. Sideswipe was rewarded with a slight tingling jolt of electric charge up his finger, while Sunstreaker gasped, flared his plating and arched back against him. Sideswipe tweaked the capacitor again, entranced at Sunstreaker’s alluring expression in the mirror as the short, sharp burst of charge sparked and crackled along nerve-circuits through his twin’s systems.

In his own frame, Sideswipe could feel just a phantom hint of it: a light prickle and sting like the snap of rubber tubing. 

He rocked forward, snapping back his pelvic plating to rub his physical need and arousal against that smooth, freshly polished and cured-painted aft.

//You better wipe me clean after. I’m not -// Their bond jerked and pulsed, as Sideswipe set off the charge built up in another capacitor; a hot choked gasp out loud all but blared over their bond. 

Grinding his spike forward again, Sideswipe promised he’d clean up any mess he made, breaking optic contact just for a moment to see the beginning well of transfluid from the tip of his spike trail across Sunstreaker’s polished aft plating. Pointed finger tips dragged lightly over circuits, as Sunstreaker leaned back to spread more of his seams and expose his sensitive circuitry beneath. Sideswipe travelled his fingers toward his pelvic plating, following this familiar map toward a hidden treasure. Hot plating pressed against his spike as he slipped it between Sunstreaker’s legs. Gently, he pressed his lips against a neck cable and sucked while setting off another capacitor and making Sunstreaker jerk.

Sunstreaker’s head leaned back against Sideswipe’s shoulder, and Sideswipe wrapped his hand up under his left arm to grab a clean polishing cloth from a drawer. His twin’s optics offlined and his pelvic panel slowly retracted. 

From the front, Sideswipe lightly dragged pointed fingers over Sunstreaker’s softer, flexible metal fold and circled his node.

“Can I slip inside you?” From the back, his spike slid along the slit Sunstreaker slowly revealed from between plating.

Wordlessly, through their intermingled emotions of their bond alone, Sideswipe knew the answer. He passed the cloth to one of Sunstreaker’s hands. His sharp fingers moved away from his valve, seeking stretched out seams. His other hand, blunt and smooth, he pressed against the metal surrounding Sunstreaker’s upper most node.

Sunstreaker ground down on Sideswipe’s palm, humping against it then leaned forward to rest his hands on the mirror. His valve spread around the tip of Sideswipe’s spike in invitation. Sideswipe continued to set off snapping electric currents through Sunstreaker’s frame, knowing the location of all the capacitors from vorns of worshiping his heated, golden sunshine, while his twin’s legs clamped tighter together. Sideswipe stared at Sunstreaker’s face in the mirror, optics offline and mouth partly open as he rubbed himself off against Sideswipe’s hand. The rocking motion of Sunstreaker’s pelvis slowly slid Sideswipe’s spike forward into him as lubrication welled with whatever internal fantasy Sunstreaker had running in his processor. Sunny rocking on his hand caused the internal walls of his valve to clench down, and hug around Sideswipe’s spike. 

Sideswipe muffed his own moan against Sunstreaker’s neck cables as he drifted his lips over them.

Against the top of his wrist, he felt his twin’s spike pressurize. In the mirror, he watched it swell and bounce, his own intoxicated blue optics peering out from over fresh, smooth golden finish. Sideswipe couldn’t resist licking his lips and revving his engine as he snapped off charge from another capacitor, just to watch Sunstreaker gasp from the sudden vibrations and his spike jolt.

//You imagining Thundercracker spiking me?// Sideswipe whispered along their bond.

A tinge of self-condemnation seeped into their networked emotions as confirmation. The cloth in Sunstreaker’s hand against the mirror was clenched tight.

Tracing lightly along seams, Sideswipe brought his hand to wrap around Sunny’s clenched one.

“No pressure. It’s okay to get lost in your fantasy,” Sideswipe said softly in Sunstreaker’s audial. “Whatever happens now is just that, fantasy, we’ll deal with the stress of sorting out reality later.”

Sunstreaker’s hand unclenched, and he brought the polishing cloth down to cover his spike. 

“I think it’s fragging hot when you cover your spike in that soft cloth.” Sunsteaker gripped his spike with Sideswipe’s encouragement. “Imagine you are somewhere else, _someone_ else.”

The embarrassment of envisioning Thundercracker in compromising positions Sunstreaker may never want to try, now ebbed slowly away.

Sideswipe waited for Sunstreaker to get centered in his thoughts, letting Sunstreaker set the pace as he rubbed his heated valve against Sideswipe’s hand and gripped and stroked his cloth covered spike. Biting his lip, Sideswipe struggled to keep from moving his spike even as Sunstreaker’s internal calipers clenched down on him. The slick feel of Sunstreaker’s valve slowly increasing speed as he rut against Sideswipe’s hand, became secondary to living what should be an unimaginable reality. Unguarded expressions flitting across Sunstreaker’s face as he laid bare deep desires while overcoming their differences; Sideswipe held his actual golden plated fantasy in his arms. 

Primus, Sideswipe wanted to sing praises to the cosmos for his fortune. How could every aspect of Sunstreaker be so complicatedly beautiful. 

Picking up on the intensity of Sideswipe’s awe and devotion, a hot burst of arousal from Sunstreaker mingled with Sideswipe’s own, and Sideswipe dipped back into seams to tweak more capacitors and picked up a narrative to help focus Sunstreaker’s fantasy.

//TC’s spike’s big he’s - ah!// Sideswipe’s gasp wavered as Sunstreaker clenched down in time with the burst of static electric charge. //He feels so good.//

//Include me,// Sunstreaker pulsed.

Sideswipe’s optics grew brighter with glowing charge. Sunstreaker wanted to try to include himself in his fantasy today. That was rare. 

//My face is free,// Sideswipe invited. //Grind yourself against it?//

The pressure on Sideswipe’s hand increased and he moved his fingers through the slippery fluid, playing and feeling Sunstreaker’s stretched entrance around his spike. Sideswipe couldn’t resist licking his lips, frag maybe after their date Sunny would let him go down on him. He was squirming so much on Sideswipe’s hand, making needy hitching moans over their bond just imagining Sideswipe’s tongue there. 

“Thundercracker is staring at us?” Sideswipe asked and Sunstreaker sent a quick ping to draw Sideswipe in sync with his fantasy. “Mmmm. Your legs are spread wide so he can watch my tongue circle your node and my lips latch on to suck. You’re so confident, holding his optic contact as my valve stretches around his spike.”

Calipers clenched down around Sideswipe’s spike again and Sideswipe scissored both sides of Sunstreaker’s node with his fingers.

“That’s it, show him how much I love to lick your valve.” Sunstreaker humped himself against Sideswipe’s fingers as he closed them over it. Optics locked on the reflection of Sunstreaker working his covered spike in his hand, Sideswipe slid his palm back down against Sunstreaker’s node- 

And took his next cue.

“Your spike is bobbing up and down, unattended for Thundercracker to see.”

Sunstreaker moaned and ground himself harder against Sideswipe’s hand.

“Want him to suck your spike?” 

His vocalizer silent, Sunstreaker moaned out a yes entirely over their bond in response.

Sideswipe could feel the moment Sunstreaker imagined guiding Thundercracker’s mouth to his spike. A liquid hot wave of pleasure crashed against Sideswipe’s spark as Sunstreaker gripped the cloth around his spike harder. 

//Harder.// As requested, Sideswipe pressed his palm up harder against Sunstreaker, but Sunstreaker had conveyed wordlessly he meant more than just that.

“Oh Primus,” Sideswipe mouth and nipped at Sunstreaker’s neck cable, optics locked on their reflections in the mirror. “So good, his big spike stretching me. Oh frag. I can’t - he’s pounding into me hard, sucking your spike is driving him wild. You’re so wet grinding yourself on my face, rocking back and forth into that hot mouth stretching and sucking around you.”

In response, Sunstreaker ground himself down harder, as if Sideswipe’s hand was a pillow between his legs he could bunch up. The cloth stretched around the tip of his spike was starting to show a wet stain of transfluid.

//Switch.// Sideswipe ground up into his twin’s valve at the signal, mouth open in a silent gasp before he found his breath. 

“He’s seated on my valve.” Pressing forward, Sideswipe pumped into his twin’s valve. “That big spike is bouncing Sunny, it’s still glistening with my fluid. Wrap your mouth around it.”

Sideswipe felt Sunstreaker’s calipers clench tighter. 

“That’s it Sunny, feel my tongue on your slit.” Sideswipe held his hand still to let Sunstreaker control where and how hard he wanted to move against it. “He’s grabbing the back of your head, moving your mouth deeper. Your mouth feels so good sucking hard on his spike. He’s staring down at you as he rides me. His turbines are whining, he’s telling you to rub your valve harder on my face.”

Sideswipe grit his teeth down against the overwhelming lust that suddenly erupted over their bond, strong enough to battle his own.

Oh Primus, what did he say? He needed to say it again, but his -

Oh frag Sunny felt so good and looked so hot like this.

//Gonna overload against my face while his hot, thick spurts fill your mouth, Sunny?// Sideswipe panted along their bond, broadcasting all his lust to flare the arousal Sunstreaker was feeling from his fantasy. //Mmmm that’s it, suck my fluid off his big spike. It looks so good stretching your lips. You love sucking that big seeker spike don’t you?//

Sunstreaker nodded absently, the emotional charge building along their bond quivered, his hand worked faster over his spike, as if that were his mouth over Thundercracker’s desperate for transfluid. The cloth shifted, the tip of Sunstreaker’s spike was exposed. He whined in frustration along their bond, not quite able to make it over the edge, with himself in the fantasy.

Frag he was so close, pressure and charge built at the base of his spike. _Sunstreaker_ was so close, but Sideswipe couldn’t get him to peak over the edge. He thrust his two fingers harder against Sunstreaker’s node, meeting each humping thrust as he buried his face against Sunstreaker’s neck cables.

What had he said?

The lust-fogged solution was the one tying Sunstreaker all up in knots to begin with:  
_click_ , the noise was generated from Sideswipe’s vocalizer.

“Good boy.” The recording of Thundercracker’s voice rumbled against Sunstreaker’s neck in a hot gust.

Their charge erupted together as they pulsed in sync along their bond. Sunstreaker’s optics onlined, unfocused as he rubbed himself off, shuddering with ragged vents. Sparks shot through circuits beneath their frame, hot warm charge feeling as if it had been injected into their lines and rushed from their interface equipment to their helms. A backwash of pleasure from Sunny’s rare synchronized overload caused Sideswipe to pull Sunstreaker’s valve hard against himself to stay balanced. Arched forward into him, Sideswipe’s twin trembled beneath him, valve clenching down as, Sideswipe’s hot transfluid pumped out inside of him - 

Bob appeared, wiggling and snuffling for a reward. 

Mortification tore through their bond from both ends, as Sunstreaker released his still pulsing spike to push Bob away. Sideswipe grabbed Sunstreaker’s hip for balance and kicked his leg out to stop Bob from investigating the fluid splashed on the mirror.

“Bob, go lay down!” Sideswipe and Sunstreaker’s called out in unison trying to ride out the final waves to charge through their frames.

Confused, Bob’s antennae drooped and he slunk to his bed and laid down with a judgmental huff. 

The trailing edge of their overload ruined, Sunstreaker’s head thunked forward against the mirror. 

“I can’t believe you thought that was a good idea!” Sunstreaker reached back and swatted Sideswipe’s leg. “Now that’s all I’m going to think about whenever Thundercracker does it.”

“You can’t tell me you haven’t already fantasized about me crawling toward him with a collar on,” Sideswipe tried to make light of what was in hindsight, not his best idea with Bob in the room. “Sunny, however else you feel about the mech, the sound of his voice lights a fire in your loins.”

“Really?” Sunstreaker turned his head to stare incredulous at Sideswipe out of the corner of his optic. “My _loins_?”

“I may have been watching too many human shows TC recommended,” Sideswipe rubbed at the back of his neck and laughed while begging for forgiveness over their bond.

Sideswipe pulled his softening spike out from Sunstreaker’s valve and grabbed a clean rag. Gently, he dragged it across Sunstreaker’s sensitive valve to clean up his mess dripping out of his twin.

“Ugh.” Sunstreaker buried his face in his hands. “This is going to be a disaster Sides. How am I going to explain how I get off. That I want things in fantasy that I don’t want in real life? Or might want to try, but might not like it and cringe from him or gag?”

Standing up, Sunstreaker snapped his panel shut, and tossed the rag in their used bin.

“Sunny -” Sideswipe reached to take Sunstreaker’s face in his hands but Sunstreaker recoiled and wrinkled his nose when he saw his own valve fluid on Sideswipe’s finger tips. 

Hastily Sideswipe grabbed a cloth and cleaned off his hand with cleanser, wiping them clean before he tried again.

“Sunny.” Worried blue optics looked back into Sideswipe’s. “It’s fine. It’s just a date. We don’t have to kiss him or anything. There’s no rush.”

“He’s going to think I’m stringing him along.” Sunstreaker muttered and Sideswipe’s side of their bond flared with a spark of fury. 

“That was one mech. And he was an aft anyway,” Sideswipe pulled his twin closer. “It’s both of us or neither,” Sideswipe promised. “If he can’t see how wonderfully creative you are with generating your own pleasure in your cortex your way, then that’s his loss. If he turns out to be an aft like the rest at least you got Bob trained out of the deal.”

Sunstreaker gave a weak smile at Sideswipe’s failed attempt at comfort, but pressed his helm against him for trying.

Sunny’s method of achieving overload wasn’t that complicated once Sideswipe understood it. Pits, it forced Sideswipe to be creative while Sideswipe could stick it in pretty much any valve or ride any spike to get off. He didn’t need to be emotionally attached.

But Sunny’s was method so intimate, he really had to allow someone into his head to get off.

And he had become a miserable ball of stress about their date, not because he didn't know how he felt about Thundercracker, but because he thought he would be rejected after he gone and gotten himself attached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They were suppose to go on a date with TC so I could post this for Valentine's Day then this happened 
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	3. Tethered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three smitten goobers go on a date, and their pets are there.

_The solitary figure stood poised, hands clasped and resting on his back at the end of a lesser used road, high upon an overlook. Before him, snow-tipped mountains marked the rim of a volcanic caldera, cradling water so still this day, it appeared to contain the sky itself in its azure surface. Wispy clouds brushed the sky as if painted by a careful hand, mirrored and glistening in an almost silent serenity._

_A single, lonely cinder cone island with a sparse smattering of trees poked through the surface not far from the west rim. A symbol of the cumulative steadfast preparation, perseverance, and patience that had lead him to this moment. A reflection of the cataclysmic past of one battle-hardened warrior, sculpted, tempered then transformed by time._

_A little sliver of a wild dream carved out of the fissures of a molten, cratered heart…_

Thundercracker adjusted his glasses on his face. Leaning back against the tree jutting out of the rock he sat on, he held out his hands in front of himself and framed the landscape before him in the small rectangle between his thumbs and fingers. The colour of the still waters of the lake in the volcanic crater still didn’t read right to him.

“What do you think, Buster?” Thundercracker recalibrated settings of his glasses to the visual spectrum limited to humans. “Azure, sapphire, or turquoise?”

“Ruff,” Buster added her feedback from his left.

“You’re right,” Thundercracker lowered his hands then idly tapped his stylus on the side of his datapad. “I already said the water was reflecting the sky. Azure is, by its very definition the colour of a cloudless sky. And sapphire… why is sapphire always used for a deep blue? Sapphires come in a variety of colours.”

“Ruff. Rrrrruff!” 

“Too heavy handed with purple prose you say?” He scanned through his descriptions again and sighed. “The setting is meant to add layers to his personality, reflect the inner journey he has taken to get here. I, err - _Josh_ , is defaulting to his root programming. He is focusing on the tactical aspects of executing the perfect date. It’s in his posture you see, he’s standing at parade rest and -“

A small yip demanded his attention and Thundercracker broke from his rambling setting deconstruction. Doubt Skywarp had seeded still lingered at the edges of his processor; not as loud now that he had made time to arrive early and write.

“You make a very good point,” Thundercracker considered his furry critic. “Starscream would never guess I’d use his flight and weather algorithm to predict sunset conditions, eh girl?”

Buster’s response was to dip the front half of her body down low and jut her butt up in the air in a play bow. She nosed at the slobbery stick at the tips of her paws, clearly indicating the task she deemed more important. Pneumatic lines hissing along with a soft shift of plating, Thundercracker leaned over and plucked up the slobbery branch. 

Few of Thundercracker’s comrades understood Buster’s appeal. When she shook, her skin twisted back and forth over her weak organic frame. Clouds of fine fur, dirt, and dead dermal particles poofed out into the air. Her dangling tongue left droplets of her oral lubricant on the floor, the occasional wall, or passing ped. She needed almost constant waste disposal opportunities, and her optics were _moist_ and squishable. While her ghastly appearance had taken some getting used to, it was her ability to live in the moment and endless capacity for forgiveness that warmed Thundercracker’s spark. 

She had put up with an extensive learning curve from Thundercracker after all.

As Thundercracker raised the stick to throw it, Buster bounced back and forth, tail wagging hard enough to move her entire back end. The force of her tail wagging might just manage to initiate the inelegant flight of a rotary one day. Any lingering doubt about what Sideswipe and Sunstreaker might think of him, melted away completely. She ran forward on her four delicate little legs, turning her head back to make eye contact with the stick about to be launched. 

Thundercracker didn’t know when the smile had formed on his face, only that it had before the stick left his hand.

Half tracking the mottled heat signature of Buster’s pursuit of her stick through the dense forests, Thundercracker’s attention was drawn back to the pristine and aptly named Crater Lake. 

There weren’t many places a clandestine cross-faction date could occur on an organic world with infrastructure unsuitable for Cybertronians. A dalliance, a quick frag; those were easy enough to duck away for. But to find a suitable location and activity to set the stage for displaying his intention of developing something more between them…

Thundercracker stilled his ailerons from flexing as he drew in a slow ventilation of the crisp mountain air.

Before the war, Thundercracker would have considered bringing them to a local bar: one with a dimly lit atmosphere, quiet enough for casual conversations. If they were amenable, he’d offer to sit between them, fostering a closeness from shoulder to shoulder. He would flare his wings out behind them, both as a clear declaration of intent and show his willingness to enforce their privacy.

Or better yet, he could have brought them to Six Lasers Over Cybertron. Sideswipe, he was certain would have loved Thundercracker’s attempts to win them a ridiculous toy from a rigged game. Sunstreaker would most likely take control and win something for Thundercracker himself simply to make a point. Sideswipe would pretend to whine that Thundercracker’s toy was larger than his and the lights would catch on their plating; reflect in the deep sapphire blue of their optics and -

The haunting bleached white optics of Sunstreaker’s battle-lust fervor four weeks ago abruptly replayed in Thundercracker’s memory files. Sunstreaker had looked straight through him. There had been no recognition in his optics at all when Thundercracker had hauled him off Skywarp so his brother and trine-mate could warp away. The rumors among Decepticons ranks had always been that Sunstreaker worked himself into a frenzied overload. The Autobot’s ‘pet sociopath’ they could hardly control: optics bleaching out the excess charge and, rocking his circuits off through bloodlust. But since the day Thundercracker watched Sunstreaker chase after Bob, screaming at him to ‘come’ through blaster fire, he had begun to suspect something only a pet owner might notice. There was a very specific sequence of events that set Sunstreaker off. If separated from his bug and his twin was fired upon, Sunstreaker entered a trance-like fury, until either his twin or Bob reached him.

A heavy thickness welled in Thundercracker’s throat.

He was… uncertain if they had ever seen a Cybertronian amusement park before they were destroyed. There was so much he didn’t know about them still. He didn’t even know when or how they had gained their freedom from the Pits. There was so much the two of them left unsaid.

There was an easy comfort between the twins, a wordless communication that would be processed with a simple glance. Different than the principles of a trine bond between three whole sparks, but a balance of maintaining a strange harmony of clashing personalities not entirely foreign to Thundercracker. It was clear through showing Sunstreaker how to better effectively communicate with Bob however, that the twins had little awareness of how often they excluded those around them from their thoughts and interactions. 

That’s all the sinking feeling in his fuel tank was.

Skywarp was wrong. They weren’t sadistically laughing at Thundercracker over their bond. With each successive training session for Bob, a comfortable, amicable, and easy peace had descended between all three of them. The few suspicious glances Thundercracker had caught cast his way from them had disappeared months ago. Covertly, Thundercracker had watched them both to glean what little intelligence he could of their interests. One of the conclusions he came to made his spark soar: they enjoyed Thundercracker’s company immensely, and he, theirs.

The fluttering feeling in his fuel tank turned more into a dawning pit he pointedly ignored as he rechecked the weather conditions again to calm his nerves.

After months of training sessions with them, this certainly didn’t feel like other first dates Thundercracker had been on in the past. Perhaps, he was moving too quickly for a first date.

Unease began to settle into his lines as his chronometer clicked down and past the time Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had agreed to arrive.

Five minutes.

Ten.

Fifteen. 

Rationally, Thundercracker told himself there was any number of reasons the two of them could be late. As ground-based Cybertronians, they had to travel the human’s roads and were subject to human traffic laws and congestion that made Thundercracker’s ailerons twitch to even consider. They were at war. Their commanders could have discovered where they were going and detained them. 

A little voice in his head whispered that they had never once been late to their training sessions. 

At eighteen minutes it reached a point where even Buster’s enthusiasm for her stick could no longer fight against Thundercracker’s dwindling confidence. 

… Perhaps they had changed their minds. 

He had pursued them, not the other way around. They already had each other — they would always effortlessly have each other. Giving Thundercracker this wild chance with them was more than he had dreamed possible. 

They just…

They were…

Thundercracker cycled his turbines in an aborted sigh as he checked up the road. 

“It is too soon to jump to conclusions,” Thundercracker assured himself through Buster. He kept his optics trained on her, struggling to not look at the island Skywarp had helped to set up with his plans. “Skywarp’s spark is in the right place, but he is wrong about them. Stay your course, right girl?” 

Buster dutifully listened, then opened her mouth in a large yawn. A slight squeak emitted from the back of her throat. 

“Ouch,” Thundercracker reached out and straightened the tiny light blue bowtie he had placed around her neck. “Harsh commentary from the little being that licks her own butt and considers that hygiene.”

She scratched at the bow tie with her hind leg, instantly setting it askew to the side of her neck again.

“You are right of course,” Thundercracker chuckled. “Perfection and the pursuit of wild dreams have no business together. It is far too late to try to change my plans now. Confidence is what I need. I can only stay my course.”

After almost a full half-hour past the point they had agreed to arrive, Buster’s ears perked up. The roar of high-performance engines and the squeal of tires taking sharp turns up the mountain road caused Buster to give an excited bark, her tail trying to wag off her body again. Thundercracker fought the urge to sag his wings down with the relief that flooded his lines. By the sounds of it, neither of them were obeying human speed limits.

He emitted a little chuckle at himself. Well, now he felt silly. Of course, they had come.

Sideswipe’s bright red as he drifted around a curve drew Thundercracker’s attention to him like a magnet. A warm tingle of anticipation filled Thundercracker’s lines, and tension he held finally released; relaxing his plating from his frame. They dipped down out of sight -

Then Sunstreaker crested the final rise, and Thundercracker stiffened. For a fleeting moment, he struggled to vent. It was as if Thundercracker were trapped in the vacuum of space with no air to draught through his turbines. All thought melted out of Thundercracker’s cortex as his optics bulged. 

Sunstreaker had completely repainted himself for their date. Every curve, every edge of him appeared to shift like a liquid. The surrounding forest bent and blurred in the reflection of his plating. Thundercracker was still staring, he knew he was staring, as the twins slid to a halt but he couldn’t pry his optics away. Sunstreaker opened his door and a glimmering, polished Bob skittered out, gravel shifting under peds as the Insecticon excitedly scrambled toward Buster. 

The twins transformed in unison, engines clicking as they cooled. The rush of charge coursing through Thundercracker’s frame cause him to step further apart lest his array panel overheated. Thundercracker was seriously rethinking his choice of venue as he scrambled for the right words to greet them.

“By Primus, Sunstreaker,” Thundercracker’s voice deepened as he helplessly gravitated closer. “You are a vision of times past, resplendent in mirrored gold, and polished black. The stars themselves are mere shadows of themselves next to you.” 

Sunstreaker froze, then shifted his optics to his twin. It took all of Thundercracker’s training not to drop his wings and cringe when he processed Sunstreaker’s reaction.  Clearly, Thundercracker had spent far too much time alone with his screenplays. 

“Sunstreaker, I -”

“Here,” Sunstreaker saved him from further embarrassment and shoved a covered something into Thundercracker’s hands. “Sideswipe ate more than three and ruined the cluster pattern.”

“Hey!” Sideswipe protested. 

The golden twin turned, crouched down and cooed at Buster. 

“I made you some too, girl.” He shook and adorably tiny baggy. “Look at you in your pretty bowtie so handsome — Bob, don’t eat it! Leave it!”

Numbly, Thundercracker looked down at the plate in his hands: a domed covered plater. He pressed the button on the side. The cover shifted, folding and transforming to reveal —

“Crystals,” Thundercracker whispered. His spark stalled then fluttered about in his casing. He had not assumed his feelings were so strongly reciprocat-

No. 

The large blue one on the left wiggled as Thundercracker gripped the platter tighter. Sunstreaker had presented him with a bouquet cluster of an entire spectrum worth of edible crystals. They had been painstakingly decorated. The fine edge of each colorful lattice painted with thin, impeccably straight black lines; a cured crude oil paint layer. Oral lubricant welled in Thundercracker’s mouth. They had… Thundercracker hadn’t had an energon goodie since well before the Nemesis left Cybertron. The Decepticons certainly didn’t have the excess fuel allotments to -

Sideswipe appeared at next to him, threading his arm through Thundercracker’s and scooting up against his side. A black hand reached out and worked one of the smaller perimeter crystals from the edge. He brought the green goodie up and placed it at Thundercracker’s slightly parted lips.  

“I didn’t eat them _all_.” Sideswipe purred with a slow wink at Thundercracker. “Sunny ate a red one.”

Thundercracker allowed Sideswipe to push the goodie past his lips and onto his tongue. The goodie’s harder shell crackled: a tingling feel in his mouth stimulating his electromagnetic sense. The chemical reaction with his oral lubricant broke apart the bonds. It began to melt. With a silent moan, Thundercracker savored the almost long forgotten feeling of a sequential release of electrons jumping energy states in their orbits. Sideswipe licked his own lips, watching Thundercracker before he withdrew his finger. A flirtatious nibble on his lower lip as Sideswipe drew it into his mouth. After a few beats, he began worrying his lip as he glanced at his twin. Sunstreaker still crouched: straightening Buster’s bowtie to little effect, then asking Buster and Bob to ‘give him five.’ 

Worry then wiped from Sideswipe’s face and was replaced with a conspiring smile.

“Sorry we were late, but… “ He motioned for Thundercracker to lean down and whispered: “Sunny doesn’t make these just because you know?”

No, Thundercracker didn’t know. He had never pegged Sunstreaker as a baker.

 But, he straightened his wings and met Sideswipe’s optics with a smile of his own, that was exactly the kind of things they were here to learn about each other.

“The both of you are full of surprises,” Thundercracker said, utterly smitten.

He had thought he had been prepared but true to their notorious reputation, they had arrived like a whirlwind and knocked Thundercracker’s expectations and assumptions off balance. 

“Oh,” Sideswipe shared a glance with Sunstreaker. “I assure you, we aren’t that complicated to someone willing to put in the effort.” 

Their glances… their hesitation… they had to be talking over their bond. Why exclude him? What had Thundercracker —

He saw his mistake, perhaps the source of Sunstreaker’s snub followed by hyper-focus of fiddling with Buster’s bowtie. He had been awestruck with Sunstreaker’s new finish over greeting them both. Sunstreaker must be taking offense on Sideswipe’s behalf.

“Did I mention that your red finish,” Thundercracker playfully purred in Sideswipe’s audial, “Here, in this forest, reminds me of the spark of passion igniting between us?”

The smile started as a tug at the corners of Sunstreaker’s lips, but it stretched entirely across Sideswipe’s face. 

“Mech, you don’t know the half of it,” Sideswipe detangled himself. He spread his arms out to his side, laughter bubbling out as he walked backward toward his twin. “In a forest, I’m red like a wildfire. Once I start, I can’t be contained. I can go for days.”

Sideswipe gave a little gyration with his hips. That tingling thrill racing raced through Thundercracker’s lines again to pool between his legs. Subtly widening his stance, he tried to increase airflow to cool his rapidly heating array. 

“Does that make the black and white parts of you charred wood and ash?” Sunstreaker’s dry humor toward Thundercracker and Sideswipe’s cheesy, flirtatious antics eased Thundercracker’s spark. 

Sunstreaker stood, and to be the subject of the gorgeous mech’s focus again made Thundercracker’s spark do a little flip.

“Glasses suit you,” Sunstreaker said, lips quirking softly up at the sides.

“My glasses?” Thundercracker’s wings shot out to the side before he forced them back to a neutral position. “Yes - well… “ He cleared his throat. 

He had meant to tuck them away. Thundercracker wasn’t prepared to share the details of his writing habits quite yet.

“They are good for fine details, right?” Sunstreaker slowly closed the distance between them. “What were you examining so closely?”

One of Josh’s romantic lines from Thundercracker’s screenplays popped into his head. It paired perfectly with the scant bit of information Sunstreaker had once let slip about his own interests. Thundercracker could practically hear Skywarp collapsing to the floor in agony, begging him not to say it. 

Thundercracker said it anyway.

“I was looking for a signature,” He kept his tone neutral. 

“Really?” Sunstreaker gave the overlook a skeptical glance. “On trees? Or the rocks?”

“All works of art must have one,” Thundercracker pointedly gave Sunstreaker’s finish another appreciative once-over. 

A strange hesitation flashed through Sunstreaker’s optics as Thundercracker leaned forward, close enough to feel the heat radiating off Sunstreaker’s frame. Mindful not to touch his finish, Thundercracker hovered by Sunstreaker’s audial and cycled a controlled ventilation. Sunstreaker held his ground, a hint of suspicion flit across Sunstreaker’s face. His optics narrowed a tiny fraction.

Thundercracker let the hot vent from his mouth caress across Sunstreaker’s audial as he rumbled out his line in a deep whisper. 

“I can’t seem to find yours though.”

Sunstreaker went rigid, a slight tremble to his frame. His cooling fans clicked on and whirred for a single cycle, betraying him, before he forced them silent. The barely audible ticking in his engine as the heat from racing charge diverted elsewhere only encouraged Thundercracker further. He ghosted his face to the side, feeling the radiating heat flushing through Sunstreaker’s cheeks. Careful not to touch him, Thundercracker looked down into those brilliant sapphire optics; locked tight on his proximity. 

In hindsight, Thundercracker should have quit while he was ahead — given Sunstreaker a moment to be vulnerable — then back away. He wasn’t Sideswipe. Thundercracker’s flirting with Sunstreaker had always taken place at a distance; more of a push and pull.

But he was entranced by Sunstreaker’s reaction to his dialogue, and pushed a step too fast.

“Perhaps,” Thundercracker purred as he adjusted the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, “your signature has become lost in the glittering jewels of your sapphire orbs, beset like glowing twin - “

Quick as lightening Sunstreaker’s hand shot out and pressed against Thundercracker’s cockpit, enforcing space. Thundercracker stumbled back a step.

“Cobalt,” Sunstreaker said; sharp and blunt.

“Pardon?” Thundercracker flinched back slightly.

“My optics,” Sunstreaker said as he took control of their interplay. “Cobalt that transitions into shades of azure with tints of cerulean and silver highlights.”

He plucked a deep blue goodie from the tray and held it on display between two fingers tips.

“Sapphire,” he said, “is a saturated shade of purple. _Sideswipe_ has sapphire-based optics with clever little glints of gold if you know to look close enough.”

As he made his point Sunstreaker popped the goodie into his mouth. His denta scrapped lightly against the tip of his finger, careful not to touch his lips or glossa. Sunstreaker maintained optic contact as he closed his lips around it, and Thundercracker worked his intake; his glossa detecting a hint of charge still lingering on his lips. He could hear the charge crackling in Sunstreaker’s mouth as the goodie melted. Wings flared out and fanning softly, Thundercracker forcefully kept his cooling fans from clicking on as Sunstreaker swallowed — painfully slow.

“I can recalibrate the settings in those glasses for you if they are giving you trouble,” Sunstreaker said casually while examining his finger for scratches. “Fine art is, after all, best appreciated at a distance, and masterpieces are _not to be touched_ without permission.”

Thundercracker had a difficult time getting his vocalizer to activate. Something in the way Sunstreaker set his boundaries made Thundercracker want to collapse to his knees and polish every inch of him. 

To cool his circuits and clear his processor, careful not to become overbearing, Thundercracker focused his thoughts on his writing. Balancing the platter in one hand, he removed his glasses and examined them as if looking for scratches.

“I’m not certain I can make cobalt sound nearly as alluring as sapphire,” Thundercracker considered the water in the lake as he mused on his setting description.

Sunstreaker’s optics locked tight on him again.

“If you’re any good,” he said, “I might be willing to provide you with some inspiration for —”

Cooling fans clicked on from the left and Sunstreaker’s glare that snapped at his twin could peel paint. Sideswipe had gone completely still, literally biting his fist as a grin threatened to split his face. His _sapphire-based_ optics were stretched wide and glimmering. Sunstreaker rolled his optics and huffed, pressing the button on the platter in Thundercracker’s hand so it shifted shut.

“Put those away,” Sunstreaker said, mouth pinched as if burdened with a long-suffering inevitability, “before Sideswipe loses all self control and _strains something_.” 

Sunstreaker looked at Thundercracker as he spoke, but an almost sheepish expression flit across Sideswipe’s face; chastised. For what, Thundercracker wasn’t certain. Something passed between them that soured Sunstreaker’s playfulness. His jaw hardened, and he clenched his fist as if trying to find it in himself not to shove Sideswipe through a tree. At a loss, Thundercracker retracted his cockpit and he placed the platter into a subspace pocket within.

Buster’s high pitched bark saved Sideswipe from further ire directed his way from his twin. 

Hearing the sound of Thundercracker’s cockpit opening, Buster came sliding into a halt at Thundercracker’s peds. Plopping her butt down, rocks went flying as her tail stirred up the gravel. Enthralled smiles softened both of the twin’s expressions and released building tensions between them.

“Does she do that every time you open your cockpit?” Sideswipe asked in fascination, crouching down to get a closer look at her. 

“Bob’s figured out how to control my windows when riding inside me,” Sunstreaker pointed out. 

“Yea but you lock them now because he drooled all down your side last time you let him stick his head out,” Sideswipe wiggled his fingers, trying to entice Buster’s attention for petting but her eyes were only for Thundercracker. “She really likes airplane rides, huh?”

“I’m hoping she’s not the only one.” 

In Thundercracker’s cortex, he could hear the record scratch like in a movie. He winced.

As soon as the words out of his mouth, Thundercracker dearly wished he could take them back. Sideswipe’s optics bulged, his mouth parting slightly then snapping it shut. Bob rushed over and butted his head against Sunstreaker’s hand. And Sunstreaker…

Sunstreaker’s systems had gone ominously silent, all expression now unreadable. 

“You… did bring your parachutes right?” Thundercracker scrambled to remove his pede from his mouth now that his line fell flat. 

His thoughts were muddled now thanks to the flash of disappointment in Sunstreaker’s optics and his laser focus on Bob. 

“I had — of course, I should have specified — “ Thundercracker flexed his flaps in agitation: visions of black and white planes spiraling into the ocean complete with engine sound effects filled his thoughts. “I had assumed that you always kept them in a back subspace pocket. I was hoping to surprise you, I didn’t want to give you the hint, so I didn’t ask.”

Any communication that passed between the twins was not voiced for Thundercracker to hear. They stayed ominously silent, until pistons hissed and Sideswipe rose. His optics darkened a fraction. His expression severe in an identical look that more commonly passed over Sunstreaker’s face.

“You’ve got some bearings TC,” Sideswipe clenched his fist, all playfulness from earlier gone, “Just assuming we’d mount up and — _Parachutes?_ Really? What kind of kinky mid-air thrill ride do you take us — “

“I couldn’t imagine either of you as a passive passenger in my arms,” Unable to let their assumptions spiral further, Thundercracker rushed to interrupt Sideswipe. 

As he did, Sunstreaker finally snapped his focus back on Thundercracker again: his expression no longer holding even a hint of vulnerability. It tore at Thundercracker’s spark. He turned and stretched out his arm, presenting the lake to them. 

“The view of the lake truly is spectacular from the air,” He explained in a rush. “Flying is a major part of my life, a passion I had hoped to share with you as best we can considering… “ 

He gave a pointed look at their wheels on their shoulders and in unison, they crossed their arms. They were daring him to say it, expecting him to call them a derogatory name for ground-based frames that a short time ago would have spit easily out of Thundercracker’s vocalizer. But they were still here and they hadn’t punched him, so he took their silences as a willingness to give him a chance.

“An airplane ride,” He exaggerated the movements of his flaps up and down, “We work together. I’ll control the thrust, and you… ”

He wiggled his horizontal stabilizers and prayed that the smile on his face looked charming and conveyed his earnestness.

“Control? From the… air?” They said numbly. 

“Have either of you ever flown in a non-combat scenario?” Thundercracker asked. 

They shook their heads.

“You want us to — “

“You’ll let us steer you?” 

“One at a time,” Thundercracker nodded, then flicked his wings back slightly. “I can’t carry you both… “

The twins made optic contact with each other. Smiles stretched their faces within a microsecond as they reached a wordless agreement at the same time. Together, they turned back toward Thundercracker.

“I’m going first!” They declared in unison.

Then they scowled at each other.

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

Sunstreaker hated surprises almost as much as he hated dates, but as far as surprises went, this was one of the good ones. 

The air temperature plummeted as they climbed. Sunstreaker laid across the top of Thundercracker, hands gripped to his leading edges and pedes braced against his vertical stabilizers. Vibrations from Thundercracker’s acceleration resonated straight through Sunstreaker’s plating and toward his more sensitive circuitry. Together they arched up into the sky. Soaring through a wispy cloud; beads of water trailed across their every curve. Crisp wind buffeted his audials as the air thinned. They breeched the clouds and Sunstreaker held his vents. His visual feed awash with colour; nothing but azure sky. 

He pulsed the sensation to Sideswipe by reflex, eager to share this experience with his other half. 

//Frag off.// 

Sideswipe was still pouting along their bond.

//I’m older,// Sunstreaker teased.

//Bullshit,// There was a sharp flick to Sunstreaker’s spark. //We came online at exactly the same time.//

//You went first last time,// Sunstreaker shrugged, a smile curling over his face. 

With all these sensations flooding over him, he was almost tempted to rub it in to Sideswipe with a sing-song voice.

Almost. Because if there was one thing Sunstreaker couldn’t do, it was carry a tune.

//I can’t believe you remember and are still holding that against me,// Sideswipe whined from the ground. //You go off flying with that fine specimen of a mech right under you? And I’m down here, trapped on an island with only piles of pillows, a movie screen, and your pets for company.//

//You’ll deal,// Sunstreaker pulsed.

Thundercracker leveled out at 22,000 feet. At this elevation, Crater Lake became a small azure dot on the surface of the planet. 

//But I’m the one with the jetpack!// Even 22,000 feet above him, Sunstreaker just knew Sideswipe flopped back into the pile of pillows in front of the movie screen to sulk.

//Just because I don’t have a jet pack doesn’t mean I don’t like flying. It means I have an ounce of self-preservation,// Sunstreaker roved his gaze across Thundercracker’s wings, twisting slightly to look at his trailing edges. //Besides, this ‘fine specimen of a mech’ edged for us and I was not letting your grubby hands from the stupid stunts you are about to pull with him mark him up before I get a chance to appreciate his efforts properly.//

//Grubby?!//

//I know where they’ve been recently,// Sunstreaker taunted as he wrinkled his nose.

Sideswipe balked at Sunstreaker along their bond then went silent as something else caught his attention. Something cute that Bob or Buster did based on what Sunstreaker felt bleeding over. His twin wouldn’t stay silent for long; Sunstreaker could already feel his anticipation for his turn brewing. Waiting was good for Sideswipe. He’d thank Sunstreaker for it later. He didn’t know it yet, but Sunstreaker had given him the time he needed for Sideswipe to plot out what would be either brilliant or idiotic stunts — probably both. He’d be vibrating by the time they landed.

Gripping tight, Sunstreaker pushed forward, kicked up his legs and pivoted on his chestplate. He spun 180 degrees. The headwinds pushed him back, and he hooked his pedes on Thundercracker’s leading edge. Facing backward now, Sunstreaker couldn’t help but trail his fingers along the straight edges of Thundercracker’s lines. 

When they had driven up, he’d noticed right away he had redone them. He hadn’t figured out how to compliment them before Thundercracker made him uncertain if the mech was coming in for a kiss, and his oh so wonderful social graces had him shoving the platter in Thundercracker’s hands and redirecting the conversation to Sideswipe. As he examined TC’s lines now, he wanted to find fault in them, maybe offer to redo them just so he’d have an excuse to do his finish for him, but they were flawless. A sharp twinge of jealousy shot through him, either Sideswipe’s, still sore that Sunstreaker got to go first, or his own for whoever did Thundercracker’s edging; he couldn’t sort out whose emotion it was.

//Would you stop rubbing it in by fondling his wings?// Sideswipe complained.

//I am not fondling him,// Sunstreaker said. //I’m appreciating the fine details of the edging he did for — // 

//Oh, oh Primus almighty,// A wave of liquid hot arousal pulsed across their bond and bloomed through Sunstreaker’s spark.

//Again?// Sunstreaker snapped at Sideswipe. //Seriously, not while I’m riding him!//

‘Riding him’ was the wrong choice of words to tell Sideswipe’s already spiraling libido.

Sideswipe tried his best to suppress whatever raunchy idea the wind had blown his way. All Sunstreaker received was a disjointed jumble of half-formed thoughts and emotions as his twin clamped down on their bond. Some bled through enough to form images in his cortex: snippets of Sunstreaker’s own aft up in the air, a pillow wedged up between his legs, spike wrapped in a blanket and held in hand, valve on display and hips pumping slowly on their bed. A similar image of Thundercracker now superimposed on top of it. Accompanied by a prolonged charge rushing through his lines as he watched his twin create fantasies and -

//Not that kind of ‘edging,’ you horny idiot,// Sunstreaker sent a sharp pulse hoping to snap Sideswipe out of it. 

//I know, I know, but once I thought it, I couldn’t help but picture… frag, the two of you, and then me, I could just slip in and you already reminded me about earlier and -// 

::Are you ready to take control?:: Thundercracker’s deep, resonate voice speaking in Sunstreaker’s head sent an abrupt jolt of charge rushing through his circuits.

::Yes,:: Sunstreaker answered, not exactly certain if he was saying yes to Thundercracker’s question or Sideswipe’s fantasies. 

He must have pulsed the affirmative as well because he felt Sideswipe’s little hitching moan over their bond. Sunstreaker narrowed their bond from his end. He guided Thundercracker into a turn as he struggled to sort through what was his reaction and what was Sideswipe’s. With ages of practice, he shoved the muddled confusion aside to sort later. There was a maneuver he was dying to try before Sideswipe.

::Defensive spiral?:: It felt strange to ask before he moved a control surface, but this was a maneuver he needed Thundercracker to cut his engines for.

::One of my favourites,:: Thundercracker gave his consent.

TC dropped his nose cone low as Sunstreaker continued to guide him through a turn. Gravity did most of the work. Spiraling toward the ground, they picked up speed. Eventually he didn’t even have to hang on. The centrifugal force keeping him pinned to Thundercracker stole the laughter from his vocalizer, but he couldn’t help but reopen his bond again and blare it toward his twin. The blue sky around him twisted on all sides; gyros going haywire. Blue started to bleed into greens and browns, the world distorting around them as they aimed for the growing azure target locked in mountains. Plummeting toward the ground Thundercracker cut his power, and Sunstreaker extended the speedbrakes. At the last possible second, Sunstreaker slammed down on flaps while Thundercracker’s thrusters roared to life.

Water sprayed up on all sides, and Sunstreaker almost went tumbling off. Thundercracker yawed and rolled slightly; stabilizing so Sunstreaker could keep hold. Inches from the surface of the water, Sunstreaker stared out into the distorted crystal depths through the heat waves trailing out of Thundercracker’s tail. 

::Did you ever see the mercury pools beneath the flight path from Vos to Nova Cronum?:: Thundercracker asked.

::Not that I can recall,:: Sunstreaker sifted through memory files to try to figure out what was even between Vos and Nova Cronum. 

::At the flight academy, we would practice formations above the pools,:: Thundercracker explained, ::The dense, liquid mirrored surfaces refracted and interfered with our laser guided instrumentation. Unable to trust our instruments, it was easy to become disoriented with what became up or down.::

::That sounds… hard?:: Sunstreaker cringed internally. He hadn’t meant his response to sound like a question.

::It was at first,:: Thundercracker said, and Sunstreaker released some of the tension he had gained with what he had thought was a rather lame response on his part. ::But eventually, there was a etherial peace to it, at times it felt as if I had been cradled by the sky, unbound by the limits of time on all sides.::

Sunstreaker’s processor stalled, at a loss for words as he tried to imagine that. With the mountains rapidly approaching, Sunstreaker used guiding Thundercracker into a turn along the rim as a reason for his silence. 

::Flying over this lake on a calm day,:: Thundercracker continued undeterred, ::Caused me to relive those sensations I had long since forgotten after vorns of war. It wasn’t long after we onlined out of stasis that we passed over here and I… I drifted out of my rigid formation for the first time… ever.::

::I’m glad you did,:: Was all Sunstreaker managed to say, hoping he had picked up on Thundercracker’s subtext.

It still didn’t scrap the surface of accurately translating the emotions TC’s story caused to rush through Sunstreaker as he struggled to form them into words. 

::I’m not certain I explained it right,:: Thundercracker dipped a fraction lower, ::Perhaps… you’d like to share that feeling with me here by spiraling over the lake?::

::Absolutely,:: This time, Sunstreaker knew the warm pulse from his spark that raced out under his plating was all his. 

Forcing Thundercracker into a corkscrew spiral, his surroundings blurred. The sky cradled by snow-tipped mountains engulfed him at all angles. The steady thrum of Thundercracker’s turbines beneath him sent a stream of pleasant vibrations through his frame. Together they twisted, and Sunstreaker reached for what it might feel to be unbound on all sides. But he always knew up from down: an invisible thread tethered Sunstreaker steady through his spark. It took a moment before the reason why he struggled with his words before became clear. Spark sinking, Sunstreaker guided Thundercracker out of the spin before he flung himself off.

::I’m sorry,:: Sunstreaker wasn’t certain why he felt compelled to apologize for something he couldn’t help. ::I don’t think I can ever understand the same effect you described. I’ve never anchored my location through instrumentation, that’s not how my cortex is wired.::

::Oh?:: Thundercracker asked, intrigued.

For a second, Sunstreaker’s systems warned that he had given too much away to an enemy. One of the secrets of why the twins were so good at Jet Judo without complicated flight protocols. He clamped the feeling down. This was TC. This was something important Thundercracker needed to understand about them if he wanted to take this any further. As he thought, Sunstreaker guided Thundercracker up higher, increasing the distance from the half of his spark tugging him back.

::Every step I have ever taken… :: Sunstreaker said as they climbed, ::is all relative to Sideswipe.::

Thundercracker didn’t respond right away, and Sunstreaker leveled Thundercracker out. Gripping around his fuselage, he swung his pedes up over the top of Thundercracker. Using the force of the wind against himself, he pushed himself up off Thundercracker so he fell toward his tail. Threading his pedes between his vertical stabilizers, reaching out and gripping tight before he fell completely off.  As soon as he found his footing between Thundercracker’s tail, Sunstreaker magnetized his pedes down for stability.

Only then did Thundercracker respond.

::Does it ever hurt?:: He asked gently.

Sunstreaker froze and locked his optic on Thundercracker’s cockpit.

::Our bond?:: Sunstreaker tried to play off his shock with a smile. ::Sure, if Sideswipe’s injured or if I’m in a particularly foul mood I can drag Sideswipe down with me but — ::

::That’s not what I meant,:: Thundercracker said softly. ::Does it hurt to be tethered to someone so completely, so intimately, that the very relative axis on which your sparks spin defines what is up or down for you?::

::I — :: Sunstreaker’s hands shook as he gripped Thundercracker’s stabilizer. A wall slammed down in his memories: a wall cutting Sunstreaker off from Sideswipe. The clock started to tick down; Sunstreaker’s opponents rushed him. Laughter from the crowded Pits drowned out Sideswipe’s screams but nothing could block the ones burning a hole in his spark. The edges of his vision bled to white, but Sideswipe was in his spark, vibrating in impatient excitement. He focused on that. The echoes from memory circuits, that had become hard-wired into deep coding, faded before his combat systems had a chance to roar online.

Reality bled back into focus. 

::It… it has been used against before,:: Sunstreaker answered as he drowned himself in the flow of clean, crisp air. 

::I apologize, if that was too personal a topic,:: Thundercracker responded beneath him.

::It’s in the past,:: Sunstreaker answered more to his own memories as he regained his bearings and pulsed toward Sideswipe. 

An awkward silence stretched between them, and Sunstreaker looked desperately around for a new topic of conversation. 

::You have nice lines,:: Sunstreaker said lamely as he loosened his strained grip on Thundercracker’s stabilizer. ::They are very sharp and straight.::

His compliment sounded weak, and maybe it was a little too late. It didn’t compare at all to the one Thundercracker had given Sunstreaker’s finish when they arrived. 

::You noticed I edged for you?:: Thundercracker’s smooth baritone raised an octave. 

He yawed back and forth in an appreciative wiggle.

::As soon as we arrived,:: Sunstreaker managed to work out as he fought against the mental images that now plagued his cortex thanks to his insatiable other half’s earlier thoughts about edging.

Over their bond Sideswipe’s anticipation was reaching a peak; he was vibrating alright and… humming. Sunstreaker almost groaned out loud when he realized his plan of making Sideswipe wait for his turn was doomed to backfire. Thundercracker was getting good a reading him though because he asked what was wrong.

::There is something I have to warn you about Sideswipe,:: Sunstreaker blurted.

::If you are going to try to tell me he’s the evil twin, I don’t believe that slag for one minute so —:: 

::He sings when he gets excited sometimes,:: Sunstreaker warned.

::You say it so ominously,:: Thundercracker laughed into his comms. ::His voice can’t be that off-key.::

::It's not his voice, it's... do you have any idea how many songs the humans have about the sun?:: Sunstreaker asked. 

::I can’t say that I do,:: Thundercracker answered.

::I do,:: Sunstreaker groaned as he cradled his head in his hand in embarrassment. ::Because Sideswipe knows them all and likes to spontaneously serenade me when his emotions get too big. Unfortunately, I have them all memorized as a result.::

::Too big? And dare I ask how many?::

::Well over 300, and consider yourself blessed if you never hear half of them.::

If Thundercracker was in his root mode, Sunstreaker could almost imagine him blinking slowly at him for a moment. 

::That is surprisingly sweet,:: Thundercracker said.

::Yea, he can be like that,:: Sunstreaker’s face heated. Primus, how did TC keep managing to do that to him? ::He can’t sing to save his life though, but what he lacks in tone he makes up for with pure enthusiasm.::

::That’s kind of adorable,:: TC answered.

::I’m glad you see it that way though,:: Sunstreaker taunted like he would with Sideswipe.

::… Why?:: Thundercracker picked up on his evil tone.

::… Do you want to know how many songs he has learned with the word ‘Thunder’ in it?:: Sunstreaker stated ominously. 

::There can’t — :: Thundercracker’s processor stalled. ::There can’t be that many… and he sings them?::

Thundercracker always tried to play it so suave, so Sunstreaker couldn’t help but grin as TC’s voice crackled over comms. 

::When we are alone in our room sometimes, yea. You should see him dance on the couch as he sings. There is a lot of… gyrating… :: Sunstreaker did a small imitation of Sideswipe’s hip gyrations while standing between Thundercracker’s vertical stabilizers. 

Thundercracker’s turbines whined, and Sunstreaker, not intending to rev Thundercracker up, took that as his cue to bail. 

Executing a flip off the tail end of Thundercracker was more difficult in execution than practice. As soon as he lifted his magnetic locks and twisted up his legs, the force of the wind against him did the rest. It probably didn’t look at all like he hoped it did in his head. But it was still easier than staying and trying to weave his way out of what Thundercracker probably took as an overt, sexual flirtation.

And maybe it was, kind of — ugh Sunstreaker didn’t know. All he knew was that whatever Thundercracker expected from that, was probably going to end in disappointment for both of them. 

Spreading his arms and legs out to the side, biting wind curled his limbs up and he arched his back. Gravity forced him to accelerate toward the brightest point in his universe. Sideswipe had said once before Sunstreaker had ever felt attraction to anyone other than his twin, that falling in love with someone felt like a free fall. Thirty spark racing seconds as the ground grew closer could feel like an hour.

Sunstreaker called bullshit. 

Free falling through the air was so much easier than falling in love. All that was needed was to free fall was the courage to take the first step, the rest was gravity.

But before Sunstreaker could start locking himself up again, trying to sort through Sideswipe’s bursting enthusiasm and anticipation and his own tentative dread, Thundercracker spiraled into his view. He yawed back and forth in a ridiculous parody of Buster wagging her tail before he lazily rolled into the beginning of a defensive spiral. 

Competitive streak flaring to life, Sunstreaker grinned at him then locked his arms against his sides and his legs straight together —

And accelerated his course. 

Thundercracker spiraled around him. Head pointing straight down, Sunstreaker parted his legs so he could spin in place as he fell. The sky reflecting in the water blurred around a central cinder cone with a tiny crimson speck. Sideswipe reached for Sunstreaker along their bond, an eager vibrating disaster tethered to his spark. A warm tingle shot through Sunstreaker’s circuits as he was cradled by the sky.

And maybe those thirty spark racing seconds before he initiated his ripcord sequence, felt like a little longer than usual.

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

Sunstreaker’s peds hadn’t even touched the ground, before Sideswipe rushed to meet him. Pillows, once carefully arranged, scattered as Bob burst out of his hide-away. Buster bayed in victory as if locked on a scent, chasing after them. Excited chittering caught up to Sideswipe left and he could feel Buster racing to nip at the tires on the back of his legs.

But his optics were only for Sunstreaker’s glowing smile warming his spark, at the brilliant blue seeker transforming and coming into a landing beside him.

It wasn’t until Sideswipe watched Thundercracker transform: metal shifting and parting in all the right ways that Sideswipe had the sense to skid to a stop. Fine volcanic gravel sprayed up Sunstreaker’s shins as he landed, rebounding a few steps forward. Like a magnet they pulled together, helpless under the attraction, until there was barely an inch between them. So close, their optics couldn’t focus on each other.

But it didn’t matter.

A wordless, breathless greeting pulsed and fluttered in their shared spark. Never had closing the distance between them felt so simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. Their thoughts melted into impressions; half-formed and messy through their bond. Each impression wove through emotions; their bond blown wide open between them.

_Thundercracker and mercury pools —_

_The longing in his voice —_

_Reflections… unbound by time and limits —_

_A glimpse through a cracked reflective surface while reaching to hold something that was already whole and complete without —_

_Does it hurt?_

_A bridge that could span a canyon and branch out to untold expanses of roads —_

_A place of deep blues, that could cradle and hold both in a single moment —_

_His compassion…_

_His thrusters…_

_His voice…_

_That aft…_

Effortlessly, their lips melded together; coming home. Motion against the other: easy and familiar. Black hands rested on a smooth mirrored gold aft while the others stroked down the small of a crimson back. The excitement of learning the movement of new lips generated synced moans into each other’s mouths —

Before a heavy, chittering weight sent them toppling back into Sunstreaker’s parachute.

“Bob!” They said as one, engulfed in the collapsing billowing mess of wires and in-fusion metal fabric. “ _Off!_ ”

It was useless. Both of them sputtered as Bob clicked his mandibles and nuzzled his face between them; trying his best to be part of the moment of excitement. Through the ‘chute Buster was nipping and baying at Sideswipe’s left audial horn; primitive biological coding telling her she had run her prey to ground.

Only three seconds had past since Sunstreaker landed.

“What did you do to them?” Sunstreaker pushed his determined bug’s face away. “They’re wired.”

“We were playing Hive ’n Seek,” Sideswipe squirmed; trying free himself.

“Watch my finish —” 

“You were already a little scuffed — “

“Buster, off!” Both twin’s froze as one, suddenly very aware they weren’t alone. “Are you both all right?”

//Besides wanting to fall into a slag pit and die?// Sunstreaker pulsed. // _That aft_? Really? What were you thinking?//

//Me!?// Sideswipe pulsed back. //You were the one transmitting so loud, I could hardly stay still and resist flying up to join you. You _liked_ my begging.//

“Sit. Stay. Good girl,” Sideswipe could feel Sunstreaker’s faceplate heat at Thundercracker’s words.

He knew better than to comment. The annoying part of being a split-spark though, meant that no matter his best intentions Sunstreaker already knew what Sideswipe was thinking based on his feelings he couldn’t quite suppress fast enough.

//Stop it, you’re making this harder.//

Ugh. Why did Sunny have to say harder while Sideswipe was on top of him? Now more than just Sideswipe’s faceplate was heating. 

“Are either of you injured?”

“We’re fine,” They said in harmonized voices then narrowed their bond and glared daggers at each other. 

“You have to stop wiggling,” Thundercracker said. “Bob is too excited and now he’s getting tangled.”

Sideswipe, hadn’t quite gotten a handle on Bob’s training yet. He still wrestled with him and hyped him up until Bob lost all ability to focus. He couldn’t help it, he was so cute when his optics went all bug-eyed and he skittered circles around their room. Watching him burrow into the pillows for Buster to sniff him out had been adorable. 

Taking a calming ventilation, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker opened their bond together and managed to untangle themselves. When they finally got Bob free of the cables, he tried to jump up on Sunstreaker. Sideswipe’s twin turned his back to discourage him, then clicked and praised him when all off his pedes were back on the ground. Only then, once Bob’s energy was calmer did Sunstreaker greet and pet the Insecticon runt. 

Sideswipe would have pet him while he jumped. Cooed at him and fluffed up his antennae. He didn’t know how Sunny could resist now that TC told him that only amped Bob up. Bob was just too cute. 

“That was perfect, Sunstreaker,” Thundercracker praised. “I’ve never seen you managed to calm Bob so quickly.”

“I don’t know who you have trained more. Me or Bob,” Sunstreaker’s tentative playful smile toward Thundercracker dropped when he felt Sideswipe abruptly narrow down on their bond. 

//Oh Primus, no,// Sunstreaker was turning inward, he couldn’t believe — he had just said — he didn’t mean— it had been innocent…

Sideswipe didn’t mean to either — but his processor…

“Of course.” Thundercracker replied evenly. “Bob tries his best to communicate with you within the limits of his cognitive programming. It’s up to you to change your habits so you can be more clear with your expectations. Isn’t that right Bob, who’s a _good boy_?”

//Lightning strike me down,// Sunstreaker pulsed in mortification for how he thought this date was going as the resonance of Thundercracker’s voice washed over him.

//You’d probably get off on the jolting charge to your systems,// Sideswipe tried to apologize by lightening Sunstreaker’s mood. 

Normally, it would work. 

//Not helping!// Sunstreaker didn’t give his actions a whole lot of thought as he reached out to swat his twin on the back of his helm.

Sunny’s faceplate heated further. Sideswipe just knew he was trying to wipe the five hour old memory files from his short term bank. What had Sideswipe been thinking? Clicking and playing Thundercracker’s voice like that? While they — he _knew_ Sunstreaker had been imagining sucking Thundercracker’s spike. Did that make his transfluid the treat? He didn’t even like — did he even want to —

He couldn’t manage to hide his shock as he realized those weren’t his thoughts but forming from Sunstreaker’s emotions. 

Thundercracker stop talking to Bob, his optics narrowing slightly in puzzlement. 

“Is there something you’d like to share?” He asked, looking at Sunstreaker first, then between the both of them.

“No,” Sunstreaker answered, abruptly slamming up a block on their bond. 

He absolutely did not want to share. 

He was still knotted up trying to figure out how to share without Thundercracker rejecting him. 

He needed space; space from Sideswipe and Thundercracker to sort out his own thoughts and emotions. Sideswipe could do that for him at least, his libido was fragging up everything else for Sunny.

“My turn!” Sideswipe crouched, jetpack start up sequence roaring life.

Sunstreaker’s hand clamped down on Sideswipe’s shoulder wheel and hauled him back up.

::Do. Not. Sing to him,:: Sunstreaker warned, inches from Sideswipe’s face.

::Who me? Sing?:: Sideswipe tilted his head to the side, but Sunstreaker wasn’t falling for it.

Sunstreaker’s vents sped up slightly though, that was new. 

::Don’t scare him off,:: Sunstreaker jabbed as finger at his twin’s chestplate. 

::I thought… you liked my singing?:: Sideswipe said a little hurt. 

He winced when his emotions were reflected back at him from the block. Sunstreaker’s optics softened and nudged their bond open again.

//I like it _most_ of the time,//Sunstreaker begrudgingly agreed. //But you are bleeding into my thoughts. Tone it down. No singing!// 

//For you, and only you Sunny, normally I’d promise… // Sideswipe grabbed his twin’s hand off his shoulder than kissed his knuckles before he blasted off into the air.

//But I can feel what you are really telling me is that you hope he might be into it!// Sideswipe’s voice sang along their bond.

When Sunstreaker cursed and called him a gyrating idiot, Sideswipe knew he was right.

Sunny had it bad if he was thinking about Sideswipe gyrating while serenading TC.

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

Sunstreaker traced the trajectory of the exhaust trail from Sideswipe’s jetpack billowing out behind him. His idiot twin spiraled forward in a twist then spread out his arms as if to belly flop onto the island.

Thundercracker cleared his vocalizer, looking completely lost.

“Does he not wish to — “

“He wants you to try to catch him before he goes splat,” Sunstreaker explained the game Sideswipe played with the Aerial Bots as a training exercise.

Thundercracker’s optics bulged as Sideswipe was rapidly approaching the island in free fall. The thrusters on Thundercracker’s peds burst out flame in his rush to catch Sunstreaker’s other half. Before he could close the final distance, Sideswipe ignited his jetpack and zoomed further out of reach. 

Sunstreaker could feel his doom brewing already. Sideswipe was practically bursting along their bond to be chased through the air. There was no way he wasn’t going to break into one of his ridiculously endearing renditions as soon as Thundercracker caught him and he took his turn steering him. 

“I’ll be lucky if he only sings ‘A Whole New World’,” Sunstreaker muttered, then froze and narrowed his optics at the speck of blue chasing after the smoking trail of red. From this distance Thundercracker looked… flat, suspiciously like a flying carpet. Sunstreaker’s fingers twitched. A detailed drawing flared to life in his processor: Sideswipe posed on Thundercracker’s back - 

Legs curled off to his side like Jasmine. 

“Oh Primus,” Sunstreaker cradled his face, already preparing for second hand embarrassment. “Why do I get the feeling Thundercracker would sing that duet with him and eagerly reenact that entire scene?”

“Ruff!” A bark came from next to his ped.

Sunstreaker peered out from between his fingers toward Buster; bright yellow ear muffs sitting askew on her head. 

“That sounded suspiciously like agreement, girl.” Sunstreaker said as he narrowed his optics at her.

In response Buster just scratched at her bowtie as if to say: _you know I’m right._

Sunstreaker sighed as he straightened out her ear protectors while Bob zoomed circles around them before launching himself and burrowing into the pile of pillows set up before a screen. Buster ran after him and pounced on the comically large pile of pillows, nose working to sniff Bob out. Sunstreaker glanced back up toward Sideswipe and Thundercracker in the distance. 

“I think you’ve got the right idea, Bob,” Sunstreaker said, resigned to his fate.

At the sound of his name, Bob’s antenna poked up from between the pillows of his make-shift hive-nest. 

Doomed. 

Sunstreaker was so doomed. 

He was going to be reduced to hiding under pillows with Bob to cover his heating faceplate if Thundercracker could carry a tune with that deep, resonant voice of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sky-diving is a little intense for most people on a first date but it’d sure as hell make the twins swoon ;)
> 
> It was better than “truffle hunting” which Sunstreaker was worried about in a cut scene. I seriously read that on a date recommendation site.


	4. Thunderstruck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are thunderstruck in more ways than one as revelations come to a head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some little snippets of Fantasy NSFW

Well, he wasn’t singing ‘A Whole New World.’ 

Sunstreaker thanked whatever gods that had forsaken him for small miracles that Sideswipe had become too ecstatic to play chase with Thundercracker to pick up on Sunstreaker’s thoughts. Reclining back into the pile of pillows facing a large, inflated screen, a relentless assault of energetic pulses shot out from his spark; warming his circuits better than any oil bath. Sideswipe was up there having the time of his life, and maybe… maybe Sunstreaker was a little bit too. 

The sun dropped lower on the horizon, casting half the lake in shadow. Across the sky, Thundercracker’s contrails twisted with the dissipating exhaust of Sideswipe’s jetpack. The dynamic hues of blue in the lake the sun still touched, became more saturated; more vibrant. Sunstreaker began to pick up pinks and yellows in the soil along the perimeter where landslides had made a sharp incline into the water. 

A small generator hummed off to the side of the movie screen, and after buffing out the scratches from his collision with Sideswipe, Sunstreaker had given one attempt to order the pile of multicolored pillows before Bob burst out; rendering his efforts pointless. It was clear Sideswipe had already dive bombed into them with Bob while waiting impatiently for his flight. A smile tugged at the corner of Sunstreaker’s mouth when he tried to image how TC had managed to transport all the pillows here. His cockpit must have been stuffed to bursting. It would have taken at least five flights.

The island itself wasn’t much to look at: bleached husks of trees littered the ground off to the side of the stony ridge trail, peppered amid the ones still living. The sides were steep: more than once already Bob had slid down an incline. Sunstreaker had enjoyed watching Buster learn from Bob, not to try to run straight back up, but to climb at an angle. 

The latent heat of the sun felt great on his plating. Pulling a polishing cloth out of his subspace along with a mild cleaner, Sunstreaker returned to working on scouring his finish for evidence of dust or bugs. As he reached down toward his wheels, a fluttery feeling flit across his spark.

Sunstreaker felt —

Hot charge ghosted under Sunstreaker’s plating. Laying back in the pile of pillows Sunstreaker tracked Sideswipe and Thundercracker's progress; lips twitching as he fought the smile wanting to burst on his face. The pounding in his spark matched the rush and rhythm from Sideswipe’s as his twin angled Thundercracker’s trajectory to shoot the narrow gap between the island and the shoreline. The identifiable guitar melody and percussive beats that reached Sunstreaker’s audials almost made him bury his face in a pillow. 

Almost.

Thundercracker couldn’t say Sunstreaker didn’t warn him.

The fine volcanic pebbles vibrated on the surface of the ground: announcing TC’s thundering and low approach. He lazily watched them level out, inches above the water as Sideswipe dropped to his stomach. Kicking his legs out behind him, he braced his pedes on the edges of Thundercracker’s vertical stabilizers, and gripped tight to the leading edges of —

//You wouldn’t — // Sunstreaker jolted upright; muting his audials.

It did nothing to mute his spark.

// _And I was shaking at the knees! Could I come again please?_ // His twin sang his swelling spark out as he gyrated with abandon along their bond. // _You've been —_ //

The air _cracked_ as Thundercracker broke the sound barrier with Sideswipe clinging and shrieking breathless on top of him. 

The entire island rumbled to life while Sunstreaker gasped at the euphoric bliss blasting through his spark. Their resulting shockwave ripped across the top of trees; crystal sprays of water arched up and parted across the surface of the lake. Pebbles danced down the slopes, and a large chunk of the West cliff-face mobilized into a landslide. 

Buster barked and ran along the ridge-line after them, ear protectors snug now on her head. Bob launched himself out of the pillows and plopped himself next to Sunstreaker. His dutiful bug scanned the skies, antennae sticking straight up and alert at the claps of artificial thunder. They were long gone, but the surface of the lake rippled out a parting line from their wake.

Sideswipe’s glee had set their bond ablaze; making some kind of half-comprehensible joke about thunder being the aftershock of a charge that could rock their world.

An honest, and uncontrollable smile stretched across Sunstreaker’s face.

“You’re a good boy, Bob,” Sunstreaker reached out and scratched behind his antennae. “But stand down, we aren’t under attack.”

Bob leaned heavily against his side and whirred up at him.

“Yea,” Sunstreaker grinned, lounging back into the pillows. “So maybe I’m just a little jealous I didn’t think of that first. Don’t tell Sideswipe though.”

Bob stayed at his side for all of four seconds before he was burrowing back under his pillow-fort-made-hive. It was hopeless. There was no way Sideswipe wasn’t making a ball-pit for him to dig in now. As long as the balls didn’t squeak or Bob would never calm down. They could empty the supply closet next to their room, cut a hole in the wall…

Idly running the polishing cloth through the seams along his chest plate, he stared up at the paint brush tipped clouds in the sky. The aftershocks of Sideswipe’s emotions race through his frame. That maneuver would have been suicide in combat; both for Thundercracker and the stunning, idiotic frontliner with a death wish who rode him. But as soon as Sunstreaker got the chance again with TC, he already knew he was going to try it too. Maybe… if he pretended to attack TC next battle they could collude and —

He snorted.

The look on Prowl’s face would be priceless. He’d have to ask Sideswipe to ask Rewind to capture the expression for him.

The elation thrumming along in his spark hadn’t dimmed, but his own amusement twisted into his twin’s. Sideswipe was too focused on steering TC at MACH 2 to consciously think of the amount of tantalizing charge he was igniting in Sunstreaker’s systems.

“He’s completely aft over heels for TC — ” Sunstreaker’s lines quivered and he paused as the image formed in his mind. “Now that’s a pretty picture.” 

The calipers of his valve clenched and Sunstreaker licked his lips. Absently, Sunstreaker pumped his aft once against the pillow beneath him. 

Another wildfire of charge stoked the heat in his spark. Dropping his head back against the pillows, Sunstreaker offlined his optics. The rush of electric charge pulsing from Sideswipe rolled through his systems. Slowly, carefully pulsing his hips, the corner of a pillow pressed up against his panel from behind. His legs parted slightly as he pictured Sideswipe on his back and Thundercracker crawling up between his legs. 

_Aft over heels…_

The brilliant blue seeker in Sunstreaker’s cortex kissed the inside of Sideswipe’s ankle joint. He worked his way agonizingly slowly up his twin’s leg; raising them up as he went. Ruby red optics, burning with a deep need and flaring in desire locked on begging sapphire flaring with tints of gold. 

Black scorching plating would snap back and display soft metal mesh folds; already be dripping with need. Sideswipe would shiver as the breath from Thundercracker’s hot vents curled over his exposed valve. Thundercracker would flick that flashing red node with his tongue before sucking on it as if he could siphon out fuel. Milking it between his lips, he flicked it with his tongue. Two fingers would work up and down between slippery mesh before plunging inside. 

Sunstreaker spread his legs further apart. The pillow settled firmly against his heated panel. He ground down on the pressure; calipers pulsing with the charge building beneath it.

Sideswipe would be insensible. Hands tied to the headboard, thrusting his hips up as best he could; unable to grab Thundercracker’s head to really ride his face. Head tossing back and forth, a collar around his neck with a braided leather leash —

// _And I was shaking at the knees!_ // 

Shaking on his knees; he’d beg for more as Thundercracker slammed into him from behind. 

// _Could I come again, please._ //

Only if you’re a ‘good boy,’ Thundercracker would rumble out against his audial. His deep voice vibrating up through his circuits under his plating; setting them on fire. 

// _You've been -_ //

Have you been -

// _Thunderstruck._ //

The ground under him shook, sending vibrations up the pillow. His lower back arched up to create more pressure, and his shoulder’s pressed down as he ground down on it. Head back, tongue dipping out to help draw in his lower lip. He bit it. 

Hands and knees now, cute head tilt off to the side, a little jingle of tags…

Have you been a _good boy_ , S-

// _Sunny!?_ // Sunstreaker’s optics flew open and locked them instantly on Sideswipe’s incredulous face. //Oh, Primus… Sunny. Was it me? I didn’t mean too… //

Spark sinking as the charge was doused through his systems, Sunstreaker’s audial system booted up so fast he heard them snap online with a bang. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he tried to casually use his heel to kick the pillow down from between his legs. 

His fuel pump plummeted and tangled with his fuel tank.

Thundercracker…

Thundercracker was standing next to Sideswipe… 

Lips slightly parted, optics glowing hot, he stared. Sunstreaker tried not notice how Thundercracker’s wings fanned out; tried not to hear how his turbines whined, skipped, and sped up. He tried to convince himself that he was just cooling them after his flight. 

“Sunstreaker… “ Thundercracker purred out his name in a low rumble that caused Sunstreaker’s face to heat harder; mortification racing through him. “Your display - “

“What display?” Sideswipe leaped between Thundercracker and Sunstreaker, “No display here, and whatever you are thinking, it’s definitely not the plan. Not today.”

Sunstreaker wanted to melt into the pillows and never be seen again. His t-cog contorted; half shifting and encouraging him to drive from this. The cables in his legs coiled and his lines pressurized, wanting to run. 

But he couldn’t. There was no escape.

He was the only non-flight capable mech trapped on an island; nowhere to run. His combat protocols requested activation, looking to target the threat consuming his systems.

Somewhere between the frozen moment of flight and fight, Sunstreaker launched and smacked a pillow across the back of Sideswipe’s head.

Repeatedly.

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

Thundercracker had never witnessed a more captivating, and confusing sequence of events in his entire function. There was no protocol, no training, or vorns of dedicated practice that could have prepared him for what he was witnessing.

A shock, considering he had shared quarters with Skywarp and Starscream for millennia. 

One moment, Sunstreaker welcomed their arrival: arched back in the pillows, golden plating awash like a dream reflecting the entire spectrum of the setting sun. A teasing ped pressed down the pillow, and freed up space from between his thighs, and then the next moment — 

Buster’s safety training for violent Cybertronians had kicked in. As soon as Sunstreaker launched his attack, she had ducked in between Thundercracker’s peds. He snatched her up and cradled her carefully in his hands as he stared numbly at the scene; uncertain if he should intervene. 

This wasn’t at all like the playful, flirtatious pillow fights in human media. There was no bouncing on knees or tangled limbs; no giggling or coy laughter.

In fact, neither of the twins had said a word.

Sunstreaker’s face was hard, optics taking on a lighter hue; an expression Thundercracker thought he reserved for combat. He hadn’t gone berserk. In all the hours Thundercracker had to spend with him in Bob’s training sessions, he had never seen him just randomly enter that state. This was not at the same expression that haunted Thundercracker’s thoughts. Still, it was with a seemingly deadly intent that Sunstreaker dual wielded pillows against his twin. His expression was so thunderous; it could smelt plating into slag. 

After taking three hits to the back of the helm and five more across the face, Sideswipe was the first to break the silence. 

“There is no way that was _all_ my fault!” Sideswipe lifted his forearm up to block the next blow to his face. 

Sunstreaker’s left optic twitched. His response: smacking the pillow in his off-hand across Sideswipe’s chest so hard it split a seam. Exposed fluff went flying; Bob jumped up to snap it out of the air. The Insecticon shook his head, growling as if he could kill the fluff that threatened his small hive.

“That wasn’t me though!” Sideswipe intercepted his twin’s wrist on his next strike and held it. 

Sunstreaker’s optics morphed into twin chips of ice. Restraint; clearly not the right response to calm him. Nor was Sideswipe’s maneuver of ripping the pillow out of Sunstreaker’s hand and smacking him back with it. Had it been an actual weapon, Sideswipe would have had Sunstreaker clutching his left side after he ducked under his guard. As it was, he just enraged Sunstreaker further.

But at least he was speaking a few words Thundercracker could hear.

“ _You!_ ” Sunstreaker all but growled out of clenched denta. 

He feigned from the right and as Sideswipe went to dodge, he landed a cushioned blow on the side of his twin’s head. 

Then… the ballistic barrage began.

Sideswipe had his arms up over his head as Sunstreaker drew in reinforcements. He rained down blow after cushioned blow on his twin’s head from the stockpile of pillows at his pedes. Bob was going wild, growling and attacking every pillow that rebounded off Sideswipe. The twins were arguing, that much was clear, but only half their dispute was being verbalized. Thundercracker was now certain the rumors about split sparks being able to read each other’s thoughts were true because Thundercracker was at a complete loss.

“Your fucking clicking,” Sunstreaker continued his cushioned bombardment, “and recordings, and gyrating as you sing with cute little head tilts — ”

“Gyrating?” Sideswipe found an opening to break free from the barrage, “I was _flying_ with him! Not humping his cockpit like a — wait, a fragging minute! What cute head tilt?” 

Sideswipe slowly circled his twin in parallel. He narrowed his optics at his twin. Sunstreaker’s narrowed to match.

“Don’t you dare — “ 

“This?” Sideswipe cocked his head to the side, a small pout on his lips. A very canine-like whine left his vocalizer that caused Buster’s head to tilt to match.

Sunstreaker’s vocalizer squeaked then sputtered in static. His hitched and vents flared. Sideswipe’s optics widened, as his own vents hitch, then a mischievous gleam shone in the red twin’s optics.

Sideswipe took advantage of Sunstreaker stunned fixation on him.

He got in a solid hit on the side of Sunstreaker’s audial fin. The fluff from the split pillow snagged on the tip; gutting the pillow of its innards. Bob launched up and grabbed the empty husk of material from Sideswipe hand; disarming him with a tug. 

“You and your constant fucking horny — spilling into me — ” Sunstreaker swung and Sideswipe caught the other side of the pillow in a smooth, coordinated movement. 

Gravel crunched down under their pedes as they both stood their ground and tugged. 

“Oh, no, no, no,” Sideswipe growled as he yanked on the pillow, “You have plenty of your own: Mr. I Can Be Your Inspiration If You Are A _Good Boy_.”

“That is not what I — what is wrong with your two-bit circuit brain — I was offering to help with colour identification,” Sunstreaker’s snapped and pulled back.

“Like you didn’t know how hot and adorable you both sounded while you flirted over the colour of my optics,” Sideswipe snapped right back. “And then popping that goodie in your mouth so _slowly_ — “

Sunstreaker’s engine rumbled, low. 

Bob jumped up and clamped onto an edge of the pillow, tearing off a chunk; trying his hardest kill the last of his hive’s enemies.

“Frag off,” Sideswipe snarled. “I’m trying, but my lines are not made of _ice_.”

The pillow shredded apart and as one they froze, vents flared, and fans in overdrive. Neither of them moved for a few seconds until Sunstreaker threw his half of the pillow on the ground.

“Frag you,” He said, optics tight at the edges; voice strained.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Sideswipe’s voice instantly lost any edge. 

He reached toward his twin’s hand but Sunstreaker jerked it away. He crossed his arms tight in front of himself and looked down at Bob tearing and shaking apart what his master had thrown for him to finish off.

“Sunny, don’t do this to yourself,” Sideswipe closed the distance between them. Sunstreaker let his twin cradle the sides of his face in his hands. “We’ll just explain it so he knows, it’s not complicated okay.”

There was a beat of silence between them.

Then Sunstreaker whispered with a strained with a haunted misery.

“You’re already in love with him though.” 

Thundercracker’s wings jolted high and all of his processes slammed to halt. 

“If it doesn’t work, I’ll deal,” Sideswipe said softly, his thumb stroking across Sunstreaker’s cheek. “It’s your spark I’m worried about.”

“You… ” Thundercracker’s voice crackled in static as his processor struggle to piece everything together. “ _Love_ me?” 

Sideswipe’s hands practically flew off Sunstreaker’s face. Their attention snapped toward him; plating flared and alert as if expecting to come under fire. They stared at him, optics wide and guarded. Thundercracker’s spark yearned to share but a fraction of that connection they held to help understand them. 

There had been so much happening between them he couldn’t feel or hear —

So much history he still longed to learn from them —

So many whispers upon pillows between them missed and left untold. The sun set behind them with a carefully predicted and timed beauty, yet the fluffy remains of what was not to be billowed out across the ridgeline. 

They weren’t laughing at him; they weren’t…

But…

“Sunstreaker doesn’t feel the same,” Thundercracker’s wings dropped low; spark breaking as he came to the only conclusion that made sense.

He stared at the carnage remains of the pillows. He had caused this rift between them. It was like he was an intruder in their midst throwing them out of balance. They didn’t need him as a complication in their life… at least they had shown up to tell him to his face.

“No no,” Sideswipe rushed to say, “It’s not that at all, it’s — “ 

“Complicated,” Sunstreaker finished, refusing to make optic contact with either of them now.

“Not that complicated,” Sideswipe corrected with a gentle squeeze on his twin’s folded forearm. 

Thundercracker waited as they brought their forehelms together and cycled a ventilation. Then Sideswipe guided Sunstreaker’s arms to uncoil. 

Threading his fingers through those of his twin, Sideswipe brought their joined hands up between them, encasing Sunstreaker’s hand in his. At first, Sunstreaker refused to look anywhere but Bob. Then he slowly shifted his optics toward his twin. The look on his face was one Thundercracker had never seen from him. Stripped bare and vulnerable, optics locked on Sideswipe’s like a lifeline; Sunstreaker looked like he’d rather stare down a blaster than confront whatever it was his twin wanted him to share.

“I know, but do you really want to try to drag this out and be twisted up together like this every time we see him?” Sideswipe squeezed his hands tighter. “We don’t have anything left for you to clean — dirt doesn’t even stick to Bob anymore.”

Bob’s antennae shot up with his name. Sunstreaker’s loyal bug butted his head up against the golden mech’s free hand and hummed out a chittering purr. Sunstreaker’s optics wavered as he gave Sideswipe a weak smile in response. 

“Just take that first step, Sunny, and I’ll be your parachute,” Sideswipe pressed his lips to Sunstreaker’s knuckles. “Always.”

 _He’s just going to laugh._ Thundercracker read those silently formed words from the subtle movement of Sunstreaker’s lips. 

Sunstreaker didn’t speak them for Thundercracker —didn’t give them voice at all, but Thundercracker set Buster on his shoulder, hiked up his wings and took a step forward anyway. Their optics drew toward his movement. Still, they remained silent. But if they wanted Thundercracker to understand what in the Pits was going on, they were going to have to learn how to spell it out for him. 

He would listen, for however long that took.

“I’m not a mind reader, Sunstreaker, no more than Bob is,” Thundercracker started, falling back to formalities. “I have no link to your spark, as you have none to mine.”

“I don’t — you won’t… “ Sunstreaker’s hand squeezed Sideswipe’s, “you are only going to say it’s fine then later say I’m a tease and leading you on.” 

“Please don’t put words in my vocalizer before I have a chance to form them,” Thundercracker entreated. “I can’t fight your doubts if you don’t tell them to me. Perhaps this is too forward for what is technically our first date but I am not interested in just a frag, from either of you. I am tired of living with the weight of the past haunting my every step, and I am looking to carve out a future.”

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe’s optics widened as they looked at each other; Sunstreaker gave a small shake of his head.

“ _Speak to me,_ ” Thundercracker took another step toward them. “If I could hold my spark in my hand so that you may know me, I would, but I only have my words, weak and stumbling though they may be.”

“Your words aren’t weak,” Sunstreaker whispered with a sad smile. 

Thundercracker cycled a calming ventilation as he looked between them.

“You are acting like I have already rejected you when I am ten steps behind, still trying to understand what the problem is,” Thundercracker said, taking another step. “If I was too forward with you, if I crossed some invisible boundary, and I upset you, I’m sorry, I didn’t know it. We can slow down. I had planned on a movie after we watched the sunset, then after I had hoped the two of you would feel comfortable to recline beside me and I could share — ”

“You are probably never going to get me to overload,” Sunstreaker’s blunt words halted Thundercracker in his tracks. 

“Well, I wouldn’t have explained it quite like _that_ ,” Sideswipe murmured, thumb still stroking the back of Sunstreaker’s tense knuckles.

All thoughts of telling them the rest of the evening’s plans fled from Thundercracker’s processor. He hadn’t presumed they’d — well not today but — what? Did they think him so inexperienced? Spark pounding, Thundercracker replayed Sunstreaker’s words again in his cortex as he grasped for a suitable response.

“It has been a few vorns,” Thundercracker’s face heated with his confession. “I can’t say there won’t be any missteps or mistakes, but I promise you I take direction and feedback from my lovers well and — ”

Sunstreaker tensed impossibly further.

“It’s not that,” Sideswipe said when it became clear Sunstreaker closing himself off. “Sorry, but that’s what anyone he’s ever opened up to always says to him. It’s a nice thought, and _I’m_ glad to hear it, because if this works out, if Sunny gives the okay and we give this a go, I get pretty vocal with my feedback, but it doesn’t matter if your spark is in the right place. The more you try really hard only puts more pressure on Sunny to pretend his charge has peaked, and I know when he’s faking because — ”

“Because it’s not you, TC,” Sunstreaker found his voice with resigned, heavy sigh. “I hate the look in my partner’s optics when they try their best and it just… doesn’t work. I like curling up for a movie, kissing and cuddling, but — then they find out that I go off on my own to build charge and they feel betrayed. But I’m not thinking of them or myself, or they learn I’m letting the bleed over from Sideswipe’s pleasure along our bond rev me up while I… I don’t know,” He looked down and scowled. “I need to mentally disconnect from my frame or something to enjoy myself.“

“You’re _not_ broken,” Sideswipe spoke with conviction as he stroked Sunstreaker’s knuckles again. “Remember the gladiators with the impractical but sexy armor you drew? You’ve always created and played with your characters, even before — ”

“Characters?” Thundercracker spark skipped a rotation; his wings shooting up high. 

Sunstreaker winced, then tipped his head back to look at the sky. Wispy brushes of clouds threaded with Thundercracker’s contrails lit with pinks, red, and blues and bent across the mirrored golden surface of his plating. He took a moment to gather himself, grasping for something Thundercracker couldn’t feel, before he cycled a sigh and tilted his head back down to stare into Sideswipe’s optics.

“It’s like this:” Sunstreaker began, “For Sideswipe, and anyone else I’ve ever opened up to, intimacy and physical desire go hand and hand. And I love Sideswipe more than I can ever express out loud. I love the way his plating shifts over his frame to catch the lights when he moves, the pressure of his lips against mine, the heat of his frame wrapped around me, the jolts of sensation he can send bursting through my frame, the way his little audial horns glow when he — “

“Little?” Sideswipe squawked in mock indignation.

“Of course,” Sunstreaker flicked the tip of one as he smirked. “Clearly, mine are bigger.”

Some of Sunstreaker’s typical confidence in himself returned, emboldened from falling into his rhythm of engaging with his twin. 

“Yours are good for snagging fluff and licking and biting is what they are,” Sideswipe muttered, but his lips formed a wicked grin as he glanced at the tuff of batting still clinging to Sunstreaker's audial fin.

“The point is,” Sunstreaker said as he rolled his optics, “the thought of even trying to interface with someone I’m not emotionally attached to churns my fuel tank. I’m as attached to Sideswipe emotionally as I can ever be to anyone but even still, only _sometimes_ Sideswipe can manage to get me revved up physically. But with anyone else I’ve never... I don’t… ” 

He wrinkled his nose and scowled at the ground unable or unwilling to verbalize more. 

“I think I understand,” Thundercracker said once it was clear Sunstreaker wasn’t going to continue. “I am no novice — “

“What did I _just_ say about pressuring him?” Sideswipe’s tone went dark. His glare; sharp and on edge.

“And what did I say?” Thundercracker met Sideswipe’s warning head on. “You cannot communicate with me like you do your twin. You can’t presume to know my thoughts before I finish a sentence, no more than I can presume yours.”

“We don’t read each other’s thoughts,” Sideswipe scowled. 

“But you do more than just finish each other’s sentences don’t you?” Thundercracker asked.

The twins shared a wary look, and when they remained conspicuously silent, Thundercracker resisted dragging his hand down his face. Reaching up he took Buster from his shoulder and crouched to place her gently on the ground. He stroked down her back.

“‘Every step you’ve have ever taken,’” Thundercracker quoted as Buster licked his finger, “‘is all relative to each other.’” 

Sideswipe tensed, and he darted a surprise glance at his twin. Sunstreaker though had locked his optics wearily locked on Thundercracker. 

“I see you read each other’s thoughts, speaking where I can never hear,” Thundercracker continued. “You switch from hot and cold, to sweet and supportive without a word passing between you. You redirect and cover for each other when the other needs to gather themselves.”

He locked his optics back on them and raised to standing.

“Part of the core of your being, literally in the frame of another… ” Thundercracker shook his helm; awe from grasping to imagine that effortless intimacy entered his tone. “Your sparks rage for each other like a tempest storm that only the other can navigate without a map; indivisible.”

Unbelievably, it was Sideswipe who ducked his head, his face heating from Thundercracker’s words. Sunstreaker considered him with a hard expression though, and it was almost impossible to read what he was thinking now. But Thundercracker could still feel the lingering traces of curious, wandering fingers on his freshly edged lines, there was _something_ there, Sunstreaker was still hoping for some form of intimacy from Thundercracker.

“I am no novice,” Thundercracker state again, linking his arms behind his back and settling into parade rest. “But I have no illusions that I can ever hope to communicate on the seamless level the two of you do. Unlike your twin, I can’t instinctively feel what it is you hope can happen between us, but I — ”

“You’re wrong,” Sunstreaker said matter of factly. His focus on Thundercracker, sharp. “You paint a romantic picture of us, but there is nothing effortlessly easy about navigating our bond.”

“We’re a comedy of errors, really,” Sideswipe said quietly toward the ground. “If you don’t learn to laugh about it… ” 

Sideswipe shrugged; a weak smile forming on his face as he trailed off. Sunstreaker’s free hand clasped over the top of his twin’s.

“I never understood the joke,” Sunstreaker said with a hint of a simmering storm beneath the surface of his even tone. “But apparently it’s funny to watch a split-spark scramble and slaughter others to save their other half locked in a labyrinth littered with traps. Allegedly, there was a certain entertaining _passion_ in how we killed for each other.”

“Sunstreaker… ” Thundercracker’s words lodged in his vocalizer; himself he held locked in formation. “I didn’t mean to imply that — “

“I know you didn’t,” Sunstreaker’s voice lost its bite.

He gave Sideswipe’s hands a squeeze, then raised Sideswipe’s chin up so he could gaze into his optics. 

“Hey you,” Sunstreaker said in a gentle tone Thundercracker had never heard from him before. 

“Hey yourself,” Sideswipe joked, even now.

Thundercracker didn’t need any more details for his processor to fill in the blanks of their past on Cybertron together. Sunstreaker would have given the more _entertaining_ reaction for the crowds while Sideswipe was repeatedly locked in — Primus how could that mech still find joy and laughter all around him. In their positions now, with Sideswipe’s hands linked through and clasped over one of Sunstreaker’s, and Sunstreaker’s knuckle lifting up Sideswipe’s chin: as clear as if Thundercracker had been there, he could feel the weight of the long history that private greeting held between them. The two of them; battered and dented, limping and spraying out their lifeblood for each other, crossing the chasm between they had fought so hard to close —

And Sideswipe still greeting Sunstreaker with a smile and that pun about the turbulent nature of their relationship with each other. 

To be trusted to witness the depth of their dedication, Thundercracker didn’t think his spark could ache for them any harder.

“You sure about this?” Sunstreaker asked to Sideswipe. “If he doesn’t take it well… “

“No complaints, no regrets,” Sideswipe said with a shrug.

“That’s a lie, you complain all the time,” Sunstreaker muttered fondly.

“Only because you grumble about regrets so much,” Sideswipe muttered right back, and worried his lower lip.

Then in sync, they cycled a ventilation and stared deep into each other’s optics.

“Sideswipe and I have made it to where we are today,” Sunstreaker trailed his thumb across Sideswipe’s lower lip to nudge it out from his nervous nibble. “Not because of some myth our bond is effortless, but because we _have to_ be able to negotiate with each other what we want. It just doesn’t always happen with words.”

“I was under the impression that you could speak across your bond,” Thundercracker’s optics searched between them, “Or is that a myth too?”

“We can,” They answered as one, still staring into each other’s optics. “But it doesn’t happen in _words_ , per se. Our cortexes developed new pathways after we onlined to process our pulses of emotion to each other into words and impressions but… we don’t know if that’s normal or if… “

Their hands gripped each other’s tighter.

“You need to be certain that you want to give this a try with us because — ”

“We get all tangled up sometimes,” Sideswipe melted Thundercracker's spark with his endearing and shy peek at Thundercracker from the corner of his optic. 

Sunstreaker pressed his lips to Sideswipe’s hand wrapped around his, then shifted his focus to Thundercracker as well.

“You have no idea how hard it is to sort through what emotions are mine, what are his, and what is ours, but we’ve never had the skill to put it into words for others,” Sunstreaker explained. “We fight, we get frustrated and take it out on and blame ourselves just like any other single framed mech. Any negative thought you have, any time you beat yourself up for a mistake, well we — “

“Can redirect and blame each other,” Sideswipe added. “But when push comes to shove, we’ve become good at negotiating through our needs with each other. We’ve had to be.”

Thundercracker’s struggled to swallow. Somewhere along the way he had stopped venting riveted with the intimate details about the mechanics of their bond they shared with him. They cycled another synced ventilation and together they lowered their hands. Side-by-side, still gripping each other’s hands tight they turned to face Thundercracker. 

“ _This_ is what it means to be split-sparks,” They said as one. “Conjoined twins, forever bound to each other, but you can’t see it. We only look like singletons.” 

Thundercracker dropped his gaze to their hands. That final piece clicking into place. 

“Your life force and emotional processing center are linked,” He said with a new understanding. “I knew that, and I knew you had your own feelings and desires, but I never imagined they could get so muddled and tangled up. That’s why the two of you were all over the place today?”

They nodded together and looked a little embarrassed at all the destruction from their fall out at their pedes. 

“Do you know exactly what you feel and why at all times,” Sunstreaker asked. “Or do you just react to your feelings?”

“Do you process your emotions with _words_?” Sideswipe asked. “Or do you just feel them when they hit you like a pillow to the face?” 

Sideswipe smiled softly as he reached up and plucked the fluff off the top of Sunstreaker’s audial fin. Sunstreaker’s faceplate instantly heated.

“You let me have that entire conversation with pillow fluff stuck to my… " Sunstreaker hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "Of course you did.“ 

Sunstreaker's huff was made with a smile he struggled to hide by rolling his optics. It vanished as he looked from Sideswipe and back to Thundercracker.

“Sideswipe is wired for interfacing,” Sunstreaker explained matter-of-factly. “Like, to the point it’s hard for me to understand sometimes. All it takes is for me to turn a certain way, and then a wave of desire is just washing over me, but it’s not mine. That's him. He’s been ready to jump your struts since day one, but I… I didn’t know at first, I always have to be close friends with someone before the thought of trying to interface with them doesn’t repulse me… so I asked you to train Bob, to give me time to know you and… well… ”

“Your voice lights a fire in his — ow!” Sideswipe cursed as Sunstreaker kicked his twin’s shin.

“What did I say about ever wanting to hear the word _loins_ again?” Sunstreaker hissed. 

“So all… this,” Thundercracker gestured to the piles of white fluffy remains scattered around them, “Is because you couldn’t tell if you were feeling Sideswipe’s romantic feelings for me or your own?”

“Kind of… not?“ Sunstreaker winced and looked at Sideswipe for help. 

Sideswipe rubbed down the back of his neck, a sheepish expression passing across his face. And then, it was as if a dam had broken between them and their words came pouring out at the same time. 

“See, we figured out Sunny was into you before we left the Ark — “

“You have no idea how rare it is that I can even consider fantasizing about a real mech with Sideswipe — “

“And like, he took it one level further and imagined sucking your spike — “

“Not that I’m saying I want to do that, I still don’t know what I might want to try with you in reality — “

“Because Sunny imagines kinky fantasies in his cortex —”

“With characters I design to help peak my charge — “

“Draws them out and makes holo-forms of them too,” Sideswipe nuzzled his forehelm against Sunstreaker’s. “Hotter than the sun when he tells me what he’s making them do in there… ”

Thundercracker’s words deserted him; his processor spiraling out in too many directions at once trying to follow along under the deluge.

“It doesn’t mean I’m not into you romantically,” Sunstreaker rushed to say in Thundercracker’s frozen silence. “It’s just physically… it’s not you, I just struggle to generate any charge when I think about myself or the mech I’m with while I interface —”

“Because he thinks some things I love to do are really messy and gross and — “

“Are you fragging _serious_?” Thundercracker finally managed to get a handle on forming words again. “You build charge to fantasy characters? In your cortex? In third person? Ones _you_ create?”

Identical expressions froze their faces; their mouths half open. Thundercracker closed the remaining distance between them, zeroing in on Sunstreaker. Thundercracker’s spark was pounding as he stared down into Sunstreaker’s raw and guarded optics. He shouldn’t. He shouldn’t share this. Not this story, not this fast, but it felt like a fate he had never believed could exist outside of the movies. But like the twin’s effortless seeming devotion, fate was nothing but the cumulation of steps along the way taken to shape it. Falling in love was messy, and so it seemed, was the path of creating and maintaining a future together.

Confidence is what Thundercracker needed. Confidence to drift off course, and get twisted up into the turbulent flow of the spark.

Pinned under Sunstreaker’s frozen stare, Thundercracker slipped his hand into his subspace, and —

“It’s not complicated, Sunstreaker; no more than any other story about falling in love,” Thundercracker said as he placed the datapad in the golden mech’s hands. “I thought I wanted the perfect fairytale love story with the two of you. But there is no perfect way to fall in love. There is no smooth flight path. Everyone’s love story has its moments of awkward and raw vulnerability as they fight for harmony between them, and we all have chapters of our lives we wish were never written.”

Sunstreaker stood as if he were trapped in a spotlight, locked and staring at Thundercracker; a death grip on Sideswipe’s hand as if he couldn't believe Thundercracker's words.

“You see, Sunstreaker,” Thundercracker tapped his finger on the datapad, drawing Sunstreaker’s shell-shocked focus to it. “I’ve come to understand a little something about creating fantasies that defy reality. Perhaps, some of mine will resonate with yours.”

Sunstreaker stared down at the datapad that was handed to him, thumb shaking slightly as he moved to online it. After a few spark beats, his twin crowded at his shoulder, and Thundercracker fought the doubts of following through on this impulsive maneuver out of his cortex.

His spark and fuel tank had never tangled together so tightly before as when their optics moved out of sync. He could only watch and wait as they combed through the setting descriptions, main character introduction, backstory to get to —

“Oh, my fucking — “ 

The words came out of Sideswipe’s mouth, but it was Sunstreaker’s optics that bulged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Thunderstruck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SoXxnlCUqk) by AC/DC
> 
> *Whew* Feelings resolutions are so stressful to write, hopefully it didn't disappoint.
> 
> I sat on this chapter for a week worrying about their dialogue with each other but if I didn't impulsively post it, I'd probably pick at it forever.


End file.
